Liverpool took a big step towards automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday as Mohamed Salah returned in a 3-0 victory at Marseille.
Dominik Szoboszlai put the six-time European champions ahead on the stroke of half-time before a Geronimo Rulli own goal and Cody Gakpo strike added gloss to the scoreline in the second period.
Arne Slot’s men, now unbeaten in 13 matches, climbed to fourth in the 36-team table and will secure a top-eight finish with a win over Azeri side Qarabag at Anfield next week.
A surprisingly toothless display from Roberto De Zerbi’s OM left them in 19th and with work to do at Club Brugge in their final league match to reach the knockout play-off round.
Salah made his first start for Liverpool since November, after being dropped to the bench by Slot before helping Egypt reach the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals.
The Egyptian accused the club of throwing him “under the bus” which led to him being left out of the squad for their previous Champions League game at Inter Milan.
The Reds started brightly at the Velodrome, with Joe Gomez missing a chance to end his long wait for a maiden senior goal when he headed a corner wide.
Alexis Mac Allister also went close for the visitors, before Hugo Ekitike had a goal ruled out for offside.
Marseille were denied a few minutes later when Amine Gouiri forced Alisson into a diving save, while Salah flicked an effort at the other end onto the roof of the net from a Jeremie Frimpong cross.
Liverpool had a penalty appeal for handball against Timothy Weah waved away, but they took the lead in first-half added time from a free-kick given for a foul later in the same move.
Szoboszlai, who missed a penalty in a Premier League draw with Burnley at the weekend, stepped up to sweep the ball under a jumping wall and past Marseille goalkeeper Rulli.
The home side showed some promising signs early in the second half, with Alisson saving well from a long-range Mason Greenwood shot.
Ekitike struck the crossbar just before the hour mark with only Rulli to beat and Weah blazed over just seconds later after a rapid Marseille counter-attack.
France striker Ekitike continued to miss chances, hammering another presentable opportunity over.
But Liverpool put the game to bed with 18 minutes to play as Frimpong did brilliantly to wriggle to the byline before his low cross was deflected into his own net by Rulli.
Salah passed up a glorious opportunity to score his first club goal in seven matches late on, but substitute Gakpo did grab Liverpool’s third on the night in the last minute of injury time.
jc/mw
UEFA Champions League league phase, matchday 7 results on Wednesday:
In Istanbul, Turkey
Galatasaray (TUR) 1 (Llorente 20-og) Atletico Madrid (ESP) 1 (Simeone 4)
In Baku
Qarabag (AZE) 3 (Duran 4, 80, Mustafazade 90+4) Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) 2 (Can Uzun 10, Chaibi 78-pen)
In Bergamo, Italy
Atalanta (ITA) 2 (Scamacca 16, Krstovic 88) Athletic Bilbao (ESP) 3 (Guruzeta 58, Serrano 70, Navarro 74)
In Munich, Germany
Bayern Munich (GER) 2 (Kane 52, 55-pen) Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) 0
In London
Chelsea (ENG) 1 (Caicedo 78) Pafos (CYP) 0
In Turin, Italy
Juventus (ITA) 2 (Thuram 55, McKennie 64) Benfica (POR) 0
In Marseille, France
Marseille (FRA) 0 Liverpool (ENG) 3 (Szoboszlai 45+1, Rulli 72-og, Gakpo 90+3)
In Newcastle, England
Newcastle (ENG) 3 (Wissa 8, Gordon 30, Barnes 65) PSV Eindhoven (NED) 0
In Prague
Slavia Prague (CZE) 2 (Kusej 10, Lewandowski 44-og) Barcelona (ESP) 4 (Lopez 34, 42, Olmo 63, Lewandowski 71)
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