Marseille vs Liverpool: Slot’s Reds Battles De Zerbi’s Olympians for Top 8 Spot UCL Spot

by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga

image Marseille vs Liverpool: Slot’s Reds Battles De Zerbi’s Olympians for Top 8 Spot UCL Spot
After major UCL upsets on Tuesday, Liverpool is automatically qualified for the knockout or playoff phases. However, to avoid another grueling two-leg playoff clash, The Reds will be looking to beat Marseille and climb all the way to fourth place. But standing in their way is an even more desperate Marseille team, sitting just two points outside the elimination zone. Let's get into this match preview!
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Liverpool Push To Avoid Two-Leg Playoff

The Reds may rest easier with qualification already secured. However, two extra games are something Slot would want to avoid, especially with several key players, Isak, Endo, and Bradley, already injured.

We’ll likely see a strong Liverpool lineup traveling to France on Wednesday, with Ekitike, Wirtz, and Gakpo at the front. With Salah also doubtful following his AFCON stint, Slot would be glad that Wirtz, his record signing from Leverkusen, has regained his taste for goals.

The German international scored the equaliser in Liverpool's latest game against Burnley, helping The Reds to remain unbeaten in their last 12 games. Wirtz now has six G/A in his last seven in a Liverpool shirt, and he just might be key in defeating a fierce Marseille team looking to stay within the qualification zone.

Even without their star man, Liverpool should feel confident after winning four of their six UCL games so far, with victories over Inter, Real Madrid, and Atlético. Be sure to check out our Marseille vs Liverpool prediction for betting insight first!

Desperate Olympians Hunt for All Three Points at Home

For Marseille, winning this game (or at least walking away with a point) is the only option here. Although the French side sits in 16th position out of 24 who can qualify, they're only two points off the elimination zone.

To put it into perspective, as many as nine of the 12 teams outside the qualification zone can still win 10+ points. This means losing their last two games will likely mean the end of the Olympians’ 2025/26 Champions League dreams.

That dream was only just sprung back to life in their latest two games, where they beat Newcastle and USG after losing three of their opening four matches. The aim will be all three points here, and thankfully for De Zerbi, his attackers haven't been in better form all season.

Mason Greenwood, Ligue 1’s leader in goals this season (12), has exploded over the past few games, netting five and providing three assists in his last three matches alone. Greenwood may only have four G/A contributions in his six UCL games so far, but two of those goals effectively sealed the win in Marseille's latest 3-2 win over USG.

Alongside Mason is Amine Gouiri, who has three goals and one assist in his last two games, plus Igor Paixo, who leads Marseille in goals (4) in this UCL campaign. In truth, Marseille have a closer chance of winning than the betting odds suggest, and boast attackers poised to make Liverpool pay for any defensive slip-ups in their backyards.