Eintracht Frankfurt 1–5 Liverpool: Slot’s Men End Losing Streak With Dominant Champions League Win
Liverpool snapped their four-game losing streak in emphatic style with a 5-1 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany, despite manager Arne Slot benching star forward Mohamed Salah for a second consecutive European match.
The Reds endured a shaky start when former Leeds defender Rasmus Kristensen opened the scoring for Frankfurt in the 26th minute. However, Liverpool responded in devastating fashion, scoring three goals in nine minutes before halftime to turn the game on its head.
Hugo Ekitike — playing against his former club — levelled in the 35th minute after a swift counter-attack, calmly slotting past the goalkeeper. Captain Virgil van Dijk (39’) and Ibrahima Konate (44’) both scored headers from corners to give Liverpool a 3–1 lead at the break.
Liverpool continued their dominance in the second half despite losing Alexander Isak to a groin injury at halftime. Florian Wirtz set up Cody Gakpo (66’) for Liverpool’s fourth, before Dominik Szoboszlai (70’) sealed the win with a stunning long-range strike.
It was a night of redemption for Arne Slot’s side, who had struggled in recent weeks. The Liverpool boss told TNT Sports: “We needed a win. More importantly, we needed a performance where we create chances and get the reward. That’s what happened. The main difference today was that we scored from set pieces instead of conceding from them.”
Mohamed Salah came off the bench with 15 minutes left but couldn’t end his six-game goal drought, while Ekitike — named Man of the Match — impressed again, scoring his first Champions League goal for Liverpool.
Slot confirmed post-match that Isak’s substitution was due to injury: “Alexander had to go off at half-time because he felt his groin a little bit. Let’s hope for the best, but it’s not an easy balance when a player has been out for so long.”
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk praised the team’s response after a difficult run. “I don’t know if it’s a statement, but it’s a win and something to build on,” he said. “We’ve been disappointed with losing games, but the only way forward is to stick together, block out the noise, and keep working.”
With the victory, Liverpool remain firmly in contention in their Champions League group, and attention now turns to their Premier League clash with Brentford this weekend — where Slot’s rejuvenated side will aim to maintain their newfound momentum.
