Liverpool banished the spectre of a fifth successive defeat with a five-goal rout of Eintracht Frankfurt that included several ticks on Arne Slot’s wishlist. There was set-piece prowess, two assists from Florian Wirtz, accuracy in front of goal and, most importantly, that winning feeling again as Liverpool consigned their losing run to history.
Slot’s team conceded first for the fifth game in a row but this time produced an emphatic and sustained response. Eintracht’s opener plus injuries to Alexander Isak and Jeremie Frimpong – who could both be sidelined for weeks with respective groin and hamstring problems – were Slot’s only complaints on a night when Liverpool rediscovered their attacking verve.
There was defensive improvement, too. All three of Eintracht’s Champions League games this season have finished in a 5-1 scoreline, one for and two against, but Liverpool should have won more handsomely. Mohamed Salah, on as a substitute, missed several good chances to enhance the Premier League champions’ return to winning ways.
Salah’s omission for the second Champions League game in succession, and after a poor run of form, was one of several big calls by Slot. He made five changes from the side beaten by Manchester United on Sunday and switched formation too, exploring the question of whether Isak and Hugo Ekitiké can play together by starting both in a 4-4-2. There was no definite answer.
Enforced departures aside, Liverpool could take immense satisfaction from their night’s work and how they dealt with falling a goal behind once again. Slot’s team were more assured than of late. Dominik Szoboszlai excelled in central midfield while Wirtz, stationed on the right, was an increasing influence on his return to Germany.
Liverpool responded to going a goal behind by scoring three times in a rampant 10-minute spell. Ekitiké equalised after a devastating counterattack, before Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté both scored from headers from corners. Szoboszlai later capped the fightback with a fifth goal as Liverpool ran out emphatic winners.
