Liverpool have beaten Marseille 3-0 in the Champions League with one of the best displays we have seen from the entire team in 2025/26.
There was no moment of individual magic needed; there was no real concern that the Reds would blow a lead as they have done so many times this season against the likes of Leeds United. It was just an all-round good display.
Liverpool switched formations for the clash, with Arne Slot deploying a 4-2-2-2 system.
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This allowed Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong to cause the French outfit a lot of problems out wide.
Who was your man of the match during the win over Marseille?
Nice to have a few contenders!
Olympique Marseille v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League
Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates /Getty Images
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Liverpool fans praised Kerkez heavily for his showing, while Frimpong forced an own goal in the second half.
Alongside the attack-minded full-backs, Joe Gomez was superb despite hardly starting a game at centre-back this season, and Virgil van Dijk looked like the player who has dominated in England and Europe for so many years.
Liverpool looked like the team of old in Marseille hammering
Results have been better for a while now, but fans have had to wait a long time for performances to improve.
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The second-half showing against Arsenal earlier this month proved to be a false dawn, with concerning displays against League One side Barnsley and a struggling Burnley following.
But this was perhaps the best 90 minutes of football Slot’s men have produced all season, and one moment from Van Dijk summed the game up perfectly.
In the 81st minute, with the score at 2-0, Marseille were trying to find a late goal and putting some pressure on the Liverpool box.
A cross was played near the penalty spot, but some excellent awareness from Van Dijk saw the Dutchman step three yards forward out of the defensive line to intercept, prompting TNT Sports commentator Ally McCoist to call the centre-back’s actions ‘tremendous’ while covering the game live.
Who did it better?
Szoboszlai or Gerrard?
Dominik Szoboszlai scores with a free-kick during Liverpool's UEFA Champions League match against Marseille at the Stade Velodrome (Credit: Getty Images/Justin Setterfield).
Steven Gerrard scores for Liverpool during their UEFA Champions League match against Marseille at the Stade Velodrome (Getty Images/Clive Brunskill).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Justin Setterfield/Clive Brusnkill
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If Liverpool and Van Dijk were in that position a month or so ago, they would have most likely capitulated and allowed Marseille to get back into the game, just like the 3-3 draw with Leeds.
However, the Reds were calm and composed all night, with the centre-back among a number of players who looked like their old selves in France.
Next up is a meeting with Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, and fans will no doubt be praying we see a similar display in that fixture, rather than Slot’s men simply reverting back to playing cagey football with no real confidence.
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