Image Credits: Imago Images
Arne Slot’s side have booked their place in the Champions League knockouts under the new league-phase format, yet a top-eight finish remains firmly on the line. Under UEFA’s revamped system, the teams who finish in the top eight progress straight to the last 16, while those placed 9th to 24th are dragged into an energy-sapping, two-legged playoff just to reach the same stage. For a Liverpool squad juggling a hectic domestic schedule and coping with key injuries, dodging that extra round could prove decisive later in the season.
That is why the stakes at the Stade Vélodrome are so high. Marseille away is never a free hit, but for Liverpool it doubles as an opportunity to bank crucial points, secure a kinder path in Europe and buy precious recovery time when the calendar tightens.
The headline news is Mohamed Salah. After returning from AFCON duty with Egypt, the 33-year-old has been named in Liverpool’s 20-man travelling squad for France. Slot has repeatedly stressed how “happy” he is to have Salah available again and, tellingly, hinted that this is not just a cameo assignment. His pre-match comments — “let’s see the line-up tomorrow” — strongly suggested the Egyptian could be back in from the off, offering Liverpool the clinical edge they have sometimes lacked in his absence.
Qualified or not, this feels like a statement-night opportunity for Slot, Salah and Liverpool.
Meanwhile, Marseille have named their matchday squad for the clash:
Goalkeepers: De Lange, Rulli, Van Neck.
Defenders: Balerdi, Egan-Riley, Medina, Murillo, Pavard, Weah.
Midfielders: Bakola, Gomes, Højbjerg, Kondogbia, Nadir, O’Riley, Vermeeren.
Forwards: Aubameyang, Gouiri, Greenwood, Mmadi, Paixão, Traoré.
The clash kicks-off at 20:00 GMT.
𝐋𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐏𝐄 📋 #OMLFC
2️⃣2️⃣ Marseillais choisis par coach 𝗗𝗲 𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗶 🇮🇹 pour la 7ème rencontre de @ChampionsLeague face à Liverpool 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GY0HU1o5sQ
— Olympique de Marseille (@OM_Officiel) January 21, 2026
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