Liverpool end losing run in style with five-star showing in Frankfurt
Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates scoring his side's fifth goal of the game. Pic: DPA via PA Wire.
NO Mo - no problem.
Mo Salah must have been the most frustrated man in western Germany as for almost 75 minutes he watched his team-mates ruthlessly dismantle a defence that was more National League than Champions League to take the heat off Arne Slot by avoiding what briefly threatened to be Liverpool's worst run for more than 70 years.
The Egyptian came close to grabbing his side's sixth goal but still hasn't scored from open play since the first day of the season.
No doubt he would have fancied himself to right that wrong given more time against such inept attempts to stop the English Champions by a side that has shipped 10 goals in the last two matches in this competition.
With five different goalscorers, Slot's decision to bench his off-key talisman was fully justified as Liverpool romped to victory, comfortably snapping a four-game losing streak in a country where they simply love playing their football.
It's 16 games and 23 years since Liverpool last lost within these boundaries. Despite falling behind early on, they had the contest wrapped up by half-time thanks to three goals in nine minutes.
Salah was the most eye-catching of five changes in the wake of Sunday's damaging defeat to Manchester United and Slot was forced into another reshuffle inside 20 minutes when the injury-prone Jeremie Frimpong added to his underwhelming start to life at Anfield by limping off with a hamstring problem to be replaced by Conor Bradley.
Giorgi Mamardashvili had to beat out an angled drive from Jean Matteo Bahoya and at the other end, Frankfurt keeper Michael Zetterer was twice out smartly to block Alexander Isak attempts on goal.
The German's eye-catching work was rewarded when the hosts took a 26th minute lead with a stunning team goal as Liverpool were cut to shreds.
From their own area, seven slick one and two-touch passes later, Frankfurt full-back Rasmus Kristensen found space in the box to rifle a low angled drive into the bottom corner via the foot of Mamaradashvili's right-hand post.
The Dane's first goal in the competition was well worth the wait as Liverpool racked up an unwanted fifth successive match in which they had conceded the first goal.
Bradley should have levelled from close range but the full-back's header from Cody Gakpo's in-swinging centre lacked conviction and Zetterer was able to push the full-back's effort out for a corner.
Frankfurt had gone 10 matches without posting a clean sheet and the reason for that became evident when Liverpool levelled 10 minutes before the interval. Like the contest's first goal, it stemmed from the scoring team's own area, but required far fewer passes.
Andy Robertson's ball should have been easily cut out but somehow made its way through to release Hugo Ekitike to run on goal from halfway. The Frenchman easily out-paced Robin Koch before firing under Zetterer for a goal of stunning simplicity.
Perhaps the only thing wrong about it was Ekitike continuing the annoying modern trend of refusing to celebrate against his old club following a £79m summer move from the Bundesliga side.
Just four minutes later Liverpool were ahead courtesy of Virgil van Dijk's 30th goal for the club. It arrived in similar circumstances to the many of the previous 29 as the Dutchman lost his marker Ansgar Knauff to head home Gakpo's corner at the near post.
It took a fine Bradley block to prevent Nathaniel Brown from tucking Ritsu Doan's cross into the bottom corner and it proved to be a pivotal moment as Liverpool stretched their lead thanks to more woeful marking at a corner - their eighth of a dominant first-half.
From Dominik Szoboszlai's in-swinging delivery, Ibrahima Konate was afforded even more space than van Dijk had been to send a thumping header past Zetterer.
The second-half was an exercise in damage limitation from the hosts. Substitute Federico Chiesa should have made it four with an acrobatic volley and Bradley fired against a post before the pressure eventually told.
Gakpo swept home his fourth of the season at the back post from Florian Wirtz's 66th minute centre. Four minutes later Szoboszlai thumped home the fifth from long-range against utterly dis-spirited opponents whose three Champions games so far have all ended 5-1.
For the second time, they were on the wrong end of the scoreline.
Zetterer 7; Kristensen 6 (Collins 59, 5), Amenda 5, Koch 4, Theate 4; Gotze 6 (Chaibi 65, 4), Larsson 4; Knauff 3 (Skhiri 76, 5) , Doan 5 (Uzun 64, 4), Brown 4; Bahoya 5 (Burkardt 59, 5).
Mamardashvili 6; Frimpong 4 (Bradley 19, 7), Konate 7 (Gomez 75, 6), van Dijk 7 (Gomez 74, 6), Robertson 6; Szoboszlai 7, Jones 7, Wirtz 7; Ekitike 7 (Salah 74, 6), Isak 5 (Chiesa 45, 5), Gakpo 7 (MacAllister 74, 6).
Francois Letexier (France)
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
