FRANKFURT: Liverpool broke a four-game losing streak with a 5-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Hugo Ekitike scored for the English champions against his former club to level the match after Liverpool conceded first.
Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai all grabbed goals for the Reds in a dominant display.
Florian Wirtz provided two assists on his return to Germany, setting up the latter two goals for Gakpo and Szoboszlai.
Liverpool came into the match facing their worst losing run in 73 years, dating back to the 1953-54 season when they were relegated.
Manager Arne Slot expressed his pleasure with the victory, stating the team would not over-celebrate the important win.
The Dutchman benched the out-of-form Mohamed Salah, continuing his selection adjustments.
Liverpool conceded first for the fifth straight game when Rasmus Kristensen scored on the counter-attack for Frankfurt.
The Reds responded emphatically by scoring three goals inside 10 minutes to take a commanding 3-1 lead into half-time.
Wirtz broke his goal contribution duck in the Premier League or Champions League since his big-money arrival at Anfield.
Alexander Isak was substituted at half-time for Federico Chiesa due to a groin issue, adding to his recent injury concerns.
Slot described the situation as a pity, noting the difficulty of managing a player who had previously missed three months.
The victory provides a significant confidence boost for Liverpool ahead of more challenging fixtures.
Wirtz acknowledged the team’s world-class quality and their ability to come together and turn the match around.
The German midfielder expressed satisfaction with his assists but believes he can contribute even more.
Frankfurt took the lead after 26 minutes through a swift counter-attack finished by Kristensen.
Eintracht were pushing for a second goal when Andy Robertson won possession and launched a superb long-range pass.
Ekitike collected Robertson’s pass, advanced on goal, and slid the ball under goalkeeper Michael Zetterer.
The former Frankfurt forward apologised to the home fans after scoring, calling it a special feeling to return.
Liverpool’s equaliser against the run of play sent a jolt through the team, sparking their comeback.
Van Dijk put Liverpool ahead just four minutes later by powering past his marker to head in a Gakpo corner.
Konate repeated the trick one minute before halftime, again overpowering Ansgar Knauff to head in another corner.
Wirtz grew into the game as Liverpool established control and looked more assured in the second half.
The Germany international set up Gakpo for the fourth goal with a perfectly-weighted ball across the face of goal.
Szoboszlai completed the scoring with a raking finish from distance after receiving the ball from Wirtz.
Mario Goetze lamented Frankfurt’s inability to maintain their performance for the full 90 minutes at this level.
The 2014 World Cup winner acknowledged the pain of the heavy defeat despite starting the match well. – AFP
