In the early hours of January 22, the Champions League featured a clash between two European heavyweights, as Liverpool visited Ligue 1 side Marseille. Marseille came off a 5-2 league win over Angers, recording 5 wins in their last 7 matches and sitting third in the league. Liverpool, meanwhile, were held to a draw at home by newly-promoted Burnley, keeping an unbeaten streak of 12 games, though drawing 4 of their last 5.
Liverpool started with an early corner chance, but Jones’ header went wide. The first half saw intense but uneventful play. In the 19th minute, McAllister nearly scored with a breakthrough shot, and in the 23rd minute, Ekiti’s attempt was ruled offside. In first-half stoppage time, Soboslai’s precise free-kick found Ekiti, who scored to break the deadlock—his third consecutive Champions League game finding the net. Liverpool led 1-0 at halftime.
In the second half, Marseille pressed forward, with Greenwood forcing multiple saves from Alisson. In the 58th minute, Ekiti struck the post. In the 72nd minute, a chaotic sequence involving Medina and goalkeeper Lloris allowed the ball to cross the line, doubling Liverpool’s lead. Near the final whistle, Gakpo added a third to seal a 3-0 victory.
With a total squad value of €1.04 billion, Liverpool achieved a convincing away win, improving their Champions League record to 5 wins and 2 losses in 7 games, and extending their unbeaten run across all competitions to 13 matches.
