Liverpool ended a run of four straight defeats with a 5-1 Champions League victory against Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday night. Mohamed Salah, benched for the match, came on as a substitute but drew fan criticism for a selfish shot, later deleting Liverpool references from his X account. Goals from Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai sealed the win for Arne Slot's side.
Liverpool travelled to Germany for their Champions League league-phase fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt, marking Matchday 3 of the 2025-26 season. The Reds, under manager Arne Slot, started strongly after falling behind early, equalizing through Hugo Ekitike before Virgil van Dijk headed in the second goal. Ibrahima Konate added a third before halftime, turning the game decisively in Liverpool's favor.
In the second half, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai extended the lead to 5-1, ending Liverpool's poor run and boosting their top-eight qualification chances to 64 percent according to Opta projections. Eintracht Frankfurt's games this season have all ended 5-1, with this being their second defeat in three matches.
Mohamed Salah, the 33-year-old forward, was dropped to the bench amid a dip in form, having failed to score or assist in his last five appearances for Liverpool. Slot described the decision as difficult, stating: “The first answer is always yes. But that is also to do with Mo and all the players I have. Every time I select a team, it’s always difficult because I have so many good players.”
Subbed on in the second half, Salah opted to shoot from close range instead of passing to Florian Wirtz for an easy tap-in, angering some Liverpool supporters. Post-match, Salah removed a picture of Liverpool’s title celebrations from his X profile header and changed his profile picture from one in a Liverpool shirt holding the Premier League trophy to an image of him with his two children on a beach, leaving fans puzzled.
The result provides momentum for Liverpool ahead of their next Champions League clash against Real Madrid.
