Liverpool put an end to their worrying run of four consecutive defeats in spectacular fashion, claiming an ultimately emphatic 5-1 UEFA Champions League (UCL) victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. The result is a major boost for manager Arne Slot, providing the perfect cure for what had become a lingering “mini-crisis” at Anfield.
Early Setback Quickly Reversed
Despite Liverpool’s desperation to stop the rot, it was Frankfurt who drew first blood through a devastating move. Rasmus Kristensen was expertly picked out by Mario Götze and unleashed a right-footed strike from a tight angle that clipped in off the post. It was the Dane’s first UCL goal, electrifying the already vociferous home crowd.
However, the silence soon followed, delivered by a former Frankfurt hero. Andrew Robertson brilliantly played Hugo Ekitike through on goal, and the striker, who had left Frankfurt just three months prior for £69 million, unleashed a clinical finish to level the score.
The turnaround was completed quickly. Virgil van Dijk headed home from Cody Gakpo’s corner, and moments later, Liverpool added a third before halftime when Dominik Szoboszlai provided another corner delivery for Ibrahima Konaté to fire in a bullet header, leaving Frankfurt shell-shocked.
Second Half Onslaught Seals Victory
The second half continued to see Liverpool asserting their dominance. Despite Frankfurt keeper Michael Zetterer pulling off a fantastic parry from a Florian Wirtz free-kick, the pressure became relentless. Zetterer was soon called into action again to deny Ekitike before parrying Conor Bradley’s stinging effort onto the post.
The inevitable fourth goal arrived courtesy of the provider-turned-scorer, Cody Gakpo, who had the simplest of tasks to tap the ball home from Wirtz’s excellent cut-back. The floodgates then truly opened when Szoboszlai drilled home a fantastic fifth goal, with Wirtz providing the assist once again to round off a job very well done.
The win not only stops Liverpool’s recent slump but also extends their phenomenal unbeaten record against German teams to 15 matches (W12, D3), a streak dating back to April 2002. For Dino Toppmöller’s Frankfurt, this sobering result means their first three UCL league phase matches have all ended in a remarkable 5-1 scoreline, ending up on the losing side in two of them.
Slot and his side will now hope to build on this emphatic performance as they aim to reignite their challenge for both domestic and European glory.
