Key events
Show key events only
Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
That’s all from me. Thanks for reading and for your emails. Congratulations to Liverpool, who look likely to qualify for the top eight. Marseille still have a lot of work to do to reach the round of 16. Cheers! Bye!
Arne Slot, Liverpool manager, speaks to the cameras:
It’s a tricky place to go because of their fans, their players, their manager. I thought we were good. There were three, four, five moments where we took the ball off them and should have done better. We created less chances than we did on Saturday [against Burnley], but we won the game here.
We deserved what we got tonight. We weren’t unlucky like we were this season. I know why we’re not consistent. When the game is open, players can show their quality. That is completely different to when you are playing a low block. We have struggled against low block but every time we have faced a team that wants to play, wants to press, we have played well.
I would suggest that Slot is very defensive with his answers, even after a 3-0 victory. He comes armed with statistics, and is a little spiky with criticism. He talks about low blocks as though teams are not allowed to defend. He consistently mentions injuries as though Liverpool are the only team with players on the sidelines. It’s not a very good look.
That said, Slot deserves a lot of credit for his tactics tonight. Liverpool were excellent back to front.
ShareAndy Hunter’s match report from MarseilleShare
These are the final fixtures for all the sides next Wednesday.
Liverpool will fancy their chances at home to Qarabag, to seal their place in the top eight/round of 16. Although it should be said that the Azerbaijani side beat Eintracht Frankfurt this evening.
Marseille face a tricky trip to Club Brugge, which will be made harder by the suspension of Pavard. De Zerbi’s are now out of the reckoning for automatic qualification but are also not assured of a place in the top 24/playoffs. A draw in Belgium will likely be enough for that.
Photograph: GuardianShare
Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool captain, speaks to TNT:
It’s always difficult to play against De Zerbi teams. If we miss our press, they play out easily. It was a very good atmosphere, I have never played in this stadium before and I was excited to play.
My thoughts are with Konaté but I have played with Joe [Gomez] many times before. It helps that he is a very good friend but he was excellent tonight and started the move for the third goal.
It’s all about recovery. We fly back tomorrow and then fly to Bournemouth, who are a very difficult team to beat with a very good manager.
And here’s what the results from Tuesday and Wednesday’s matches do to the table. Just one game to play now, a week from today. It’s going to be a chaotic night with all 36 teams in action at the same time.
With victory in Marseille, Liverpool sneak into the top eight, one of five English teams in the automatic places. Things are very tight, though. Just one point separates PSG in sixth and Juventus in 15th.
Full-time results in Wednesday’s Champions League matches:
Photograph: Guardian
Join Luke McLaughlin for live reaction to those other matches in our clockwatch.
“Liverpool are having a topsy-turvy season but they seem to have found their mojo this evening,” emails Colum Fordham. “The move for Gakpo’s goal was sublime. Szoboszlai’s pass was beyond brilliant. Bodes well for the rest of the season I hope.”
ShareFull-time: Marseille 0-3 Liverpool
That’s a fair result. A brilliant away performance and result for Arne Slot and his side.
ShareGOAL! Marseille 0-3 Liverpool (Gakpo 90+3)
Szoboszlai opens Marseille up like a can of tuna with the deftest of touches, Gravenberch marches forward into an ocean of space before he feeds Gakpo out of the left, who takes a touch and strokes a neat finish into the far corner. Good goal, but Marseille were all over the shop there.
Cody Gakpo watches his shot head towards the Marseille goal. Photograph: Liverpool FC/Getty ImagesGakpo celebrates putting the finishing touch on a good evening’s work for Arnie Slot and his side. Photograph: Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 17.04 EST
90+2 min: For the first time this evening, Liverpool panic under a high ball with Greenwood picking up the loose ball. The Marseille man prances left and right, like a deer elegantly avoiding oncoming traffic, lays a ball off to Aubameyang but Alisson stands tall and makes a great save with a strong right hand!
90 min: Three minutes added on here.
88 min: Greenwood has now abandoned his right wing role and is playing as a No 10. Marseille crosses are coming into the box, but Gomez and Van Dijk are towering over Aubameyang and the rest of the Marseille attackers.
86 min: Marseille’s race looks run. De Zerbi demands so much running from his side and they look utterly spent. I’m not sure the Italian manager has got his tactics quite right tonight. He certainly hasn’t been shy but Liverpool have looked comfortable defensively and much more dangerous going forward.
ShareSalah skews horribly wide!
83 min: Salah goes clean through on goal … steadies himself … and completely mis-kicks the ball wide! The Egyptian tried to caress a finish past Rulli with the outside of his foot but instead he got the contact on the ball all wrong and toe-poked the ball five or 10 yards wide! Salah looks embarrassed with that, as well he might be.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah fails to find the target. Photograph: Manon Cruz/ReutersOh Mo! Photograph: Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPAShare
Updated at 16.53 EST
81 min: Liverpool are now sitting noticeably deeper now that they have that lead. They will look to counter with Gakpo and Salah as Marseille enjoy the lions share of possession. But the home side are struggling to create anything meaningful.
78 min: Liverpool make their first substitutions, with Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike coming off for Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo.
75 min: garretThor, via email, has brought this post to my attention, which made me chuckle. Particularly as The Beatles featured in Marseille’s pre-match tifo at the Vélodrome.
Allow Instagram content?
This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’.
Updated at 16.42 EST
73 min: It has been an exciting second half, partly because Marseille have been so open defensively. Liverpool deserve their 2-0 lead.
ShareGOAL! Marseille 0-2 Liverpool (Rulli OG 71)
The jet-heeled Frimpong nips past Paixão to the byline. The Dutchman has a host of options in the middle and crosses but the ball is deflected off the heel of Rulli, and the ball bounces into the net after kissing the far post! Liverpool double their lead!
Jeremie Frimpong cross comes off Marseille keeper Geronimo Rulli and goes into the net for Liverpool’s second goal. Photograph: Manon Cruz/ReutersFrimpong celebrates his side’s good fortune. Photograph: Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPAShare
Updated at 17.01 EST
70 min: Liverpool come forward again and Salah nods just wide, but the flag goes up for offside.
68 min: De Zerbi makes a triple change! Geoffrey Kondogbia, Hamed Traore and Amine Gouiri are replaced by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Igor Paixao and Bilal Nadir. You’ll know all about Aubameyang but Paixao is a real talent and has four goals in the Champions League this season.
66 min: Both sides go close within the space of a minute. Ekitike blasts over the bar – the Liverpool striker has been lively but it hasn’t quite been his night – while Timothy Weah pops up at the other end for Marseille, darting to the near post, his shot deflected narrowly wide off Van Dijk, who looks frustrated. Liverpool have failed to close out plenty of games this season after having a one-goal lead.
64 min: “I love watching Wirtz and he’s starting to come to life for Liverpool,” emails Simon Dahlman. “BUUUTTT sometimes he seems to want to do too much around the goal, gets a little too fiddly for his (and Liverpool’s) own good. I appreciate the technical ability and, some might say, the artistry—but sometimes he just needs to take a shot without angling for the Platonic ideal of a superb goal.”
62 min: Kerkez dances forward from left back and releases Wirtz, who has the freedom of the Véledrome to waltz into Marseille’s box, forcing Rulli into a good stop at his near post. The German had perhaps better options to his right.
61 min: This game has really opened up now. Both teams are pouring forward in numbers. This will not end 1-0.
ShareGolden chance for Marseille to equalise!
59 min: Mac Allister takes a heavy touch and suddenly Marseille pounce. Greenwood streams down the right wing and picks out Traoré with an early cross. The Ivorian, on loan from Bournemouth it should be said, is all alone but with Frimpong hareing back, Traoré takes the shot first time and it flies just over Liverpool’s bar! That was close!
ShareEkitike hits the post!
57 min: A perfect through ball by Szoboszlai releases Ekitike and the Liverpool striker blasts a shot against the outside of the post from 15 yards out! Marseille scramble it away.
53 min: A good spell for Marseille, this. I wonder how long it will be until De Zerbi thinks about changes. Traore and Gouiri have been poor.
51 min: Greenwood and Marseille come to life! The Englishman has always had a silky stepover in his locker and Greenwood sends Wirtz to the shops with the skill and unleashes a fierce drive towards the bottom corner, forcing Alisson into a good save. Moments later, Greenwood picks the ball up and fires another at goal, only for Kerkez to get in a good block. That has lit a fire under the home fans, who respond with a roar.
49 min: Wonderful play from Ekitike down the left opens up a huge pocket of space for Wirtz inside Marseille’s area … but the German takes waaaaaaaaaay too long to get a shot off and eventually the Liverpool move breaks down! Poor from Wirtz!
47 min: Yellow card for Pavard after a needless shove on Kerkez. That means the Marseille defender will be suspended for the final league phase game, a tricky trip to Club Brugge. With Marseille on nine points, they are right on the edge of the knockouts so that is a potentially crucial suspension.
SharePeeeeeeeeeep!
We’re back underway in Marseille. No changes from either side.
Szoboszlai’s free-kick was very reminiscent of Ronaldinho’s effort for Barcelona in the Champions League back in 2006, against Werder Bremen. Same angle, etc.
“That’s very remiss of a team from Provence, where the Mistral wind causes year-round havoc, to have built a wall without a draft excluder,” emails They’ll be getting a well DeZerbied blast from manager at half-time too, I’d expect.”
“With that marvellous free kick goal, I reckon Szoboszlai has earned the right to try a rabona or pirouette in his own six-yard box!” quips Peter Oh. “Go on Dom!”
Half-time scores in the Champions League 8pm (GMT) kick-offs.
Photograph: Guardian
Luke McLaughlin is helming out clockwatch. Join him for live updates, analysis and reaction.
Half-time reading:
ShareHalf-time: Marseille 0-1 Liverpool
Such a frustrating way for Marseille to concede, just before half-time. But you can’t say it wasn’t coming.
ShareGOAL! Marseille 0-1 Liverpool (Szoboszlai 45)
Direct from the free-kick, the Marseille wall jumps and Szoboszlai slips his shot underneath and inside the near post! Rulli dives to his left but couldn’t keep the ball out! An impish, cheeky free-kick, quite brilliant in its own way. But where was Marseille’s draft excluder (a player lying down behind the wall)?!
Cheeky. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty ImagesDominik Szoboszlai celebrates after opening the scoring. Photograph: Alexandre Dimou/ReutersShare
Updated at 16.02 EST
43 min: Deafening whistles as Liverpool probe outside Marseille’s area. Liverpool claim for a penalty, with Weah clumsily moving his arm towards a cross, but VAR check it and rule it not to be a penalty. Liverpool do, however, have a dangerous free-kick right on the edge of the box after Balerdi floored Gravenberch. Two Liverpool players over the ball, with Salah and Szoboszlai over the set-piece.
41 min: “Long, long ago my partner’s ancestors lived in Frosham Manor, and were cheated out of it, or at least lost it, in some nefarious and opaque post-war inheritance shenanigans,” emails Paul Griffin. “Djibril Cissé never even mentions these events 50 years before he lived there and not once has offered to reunite the house with its morally rightful owners. Good finisher but flint-hearted IMO.”
I look forward to TNT Sports asking Cissé about this after the game.
ShareSalah just over the bar!
39 min: Hojbjerg loses possession in a rare foray forward and Liverpool stream forward on the counter attack. It’s five on four! Wirtz goes wide to Frimpong when maybe there were better options to his left, but the Dutch wing back finds an excellent cross to the near post, where Salah flicks a finish over Rulli … and just over the bar! Marseille will do well to get to half time without conceding.
37 min: Credit to Liverpool, who are suffocating Marseille in possession, no mean feat. The visitors are getting increasingly closer to the opening goal here.