Liverpool head coach Arne Slot underlined the growing importance of securing a top-eight finish in the Uefa Champions League after his side’s commanding 3-0 victory away to Marseille left them firmly on course to bypass the play-off round and advance directly to the last 16.
A Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick, a Geronimo Rulli own goal and a late Cody Gakpo strike sealed a result that lifted the Premier League champions into fourth place in the standings, two points clear of ninth-placed Barcelona with one match remaining.
With Qarabag to visit Anfield next week, Liverpool know victory would almost certainly confirm a place in the top eight and remove the need for an additional play-off tie in an already congested calendar. For Slot, that incentive is magnified by the physical toll of a season disrupted by injuries.
“It’s very important because we have had to play with the same players because of injuries for most of the season,” Slot said after extending Liverpool’s unbeaten run to 13 matches, the longest ongoing sequence across Europe’s top five leagues. “That could be the reason why we have run out of energy in some of the games when we’ve conceded.”
The Dutch coach highlighted the heavy workloads shouldered by key figures such as Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch, who have rarely been afforded extended rest. “I don’t think Virgil has had more than three days off, the same for Ryan and others, but they constantly show up no matter how many setbacks we’ve had this season,” Slot added.
Liverpool’s performance at a hostile Stade Velodrome was not flawless. Marseille, roared on by their fervent support, threatened in spells and might have altered the contest had Hugo Ekitike not strayed fractionally offside when finishing one first-half move.
“It’s always very difficult to play Marseille because of their passionate fans and the quality of their players, but what makes it even harder is the quality of their manager,” Slot said of Roberto De Zerbi. “We were prepared for that. We took the ball off them three or four times in the first half but couldn’t find the player who was completely free.”
The match also marked the return of Mohamed Salah after a month away at the Africa Cup of Nations. The Egyptian departed in December with his future in question after the forward’s explosive comments about feeling “thrown under the bus” during a dip in form. Slot was quick to praise the Egyptian’s professionalism.
“It says a lot about how big a professional he is that he can be away for more than a month with a different team and be so fit to play 90 for us after one day’s training,” he said. “He was so close to a goal – it would usually be a goal from him – but it didn’t harm us because we scored three.”
Chelsea leave it late as Kane misses out on hat-trick
Elsewhere, Chelsea also kept alive their hopes of a top-eight finish with a nervy 1-0 victory over Cypriot champions Pafos at Stamford Bridge. Moises Caicedo’s late header spared the Blues from what was shaping up to be a damaging draw and leaves them in the top eight heading into a decisive final match away to Napoli.
Head coach Liam Rosenior insisted his side would not be daunted by the challenge of facing Antonio Conte, the former Chelsea manager, at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. “I don’t think this club is ever daunted about any fixture,” Rosenior said. “It will be a difficult game. Antonio is an incredible coach. They have to win, which changes the dynamic of the game a little bit.”
Chelsea dominated possession against a disciplined Pafos defence, with Enzo Fernandez seeing a first-half goal ruled out for a push that Rosenior felt would have stood in the Premier League. “Sometimes you have to keep banging on the door,” he said. “But also you have to keep the back door shut.”
Pafos coach Albert Celades, the former Barcelona and Real Madrid midfielder, took pride in his side’s resistance despite defeat leaving them on the brink of elimination. “It’s difficult for a team like Pafos to play here against Chelsea,” he said. “To stay almost 80 minutes with no goals, they did an amazing defensive job.”
In Germany, Harry Kane scored twice and missed a penalty as Bayern Munich beat Union Saint-Gilloise 2-0 to secure their place in the last 16, despite playing more than half an hour with 10 men following Kim Min-jae’s dismissal. Kane’s double took him to 35 goals in 29 appearances in all competitions.
Barcelona, however, remain outside the top eight on goal difference despite a 4-2 win at Slavia Prague, while Atletico Madrid are also currently headed for the play-off round after a 1-1 draw at Galatasaray.
Newcastle United secured at least a play-off spot by beating PSV Eindhoven 3-0, with Anthony Gordon’s sixth Champions League goal equalling Alan Shearer’s club record from the 2002/03 campaign.
