Match reportLiverpool respond with 5-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in Champions League

The Reds came from behind at Deutsche Bank Park to snap a four-game losing run and put their second victory on the board in this season’s league phase.

After a 26th-minute opener from Rasmus Kristensen, Hugo Ekitike levelled proceedings on his return to the club he departed in the summer.

Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate then scored from corners later on in the first half to turn the affair around.

Second-half finishes from Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai made it a convincing win for Arne Slot’s men.

Team

Ekitike started the game and was one of five changes made by Slot, with Jeremie Frimpong, Andy Robertson, Curtis Jones and Florian Wirtz the others to come in to the XI.

Liverpool: Mamardashvili, Van Dijk, Konate (Gomez, 74), Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Isak (Chiesa, 46), Jones, Gakpo (Salah, 74), Ekitike (Mac Allister, 74), Robertson, Frimpong (Bradley, 19).

Unused subs: Woodman, Misciur, Endo, Kerkez, Ngumoha.

First half

Giorgi Mamardashvili was called into an early save by Ritsu Doan, although the flag was raised for offside after the attacking phase concluded.

Liverpool then gained a foothold as Alexander Isak forced goalkeeper Michael Zetterer into a pair of interventions – the first on a one-v-one, before he got down low to push behind a near-post effort.

Frimpong went down while in possession and it soon became clear he was unable to continue, with Conor Bradley the replacement.

The hosts would go ahead midway through the opening period in a move that started near their left touchline and ended with Kristensen finishing from the right side of the Reds’ penalty area, his shot going in off the woodwork.

The lead lasted nine minutes but could have been wiped out sooner had Zetterer not done well to keep out a close-range header from Bradley.

The leveller came when Eintracht turned over possession near the Reds’ 18-yard box. Their high defensive line was exploited by a low pass in behind from Robertson that found Ekitike, who raced onto it and made no mistake in front of Zetterer.

A pair of corners from either flank before the break would deliver further dividends for the visitors.

Van Dijk flicked in Gakpo’s delivery from the left and then the unmarked Konate leapt to thump a Szoboszlai out-swinger past Zetterer.

Sandwiched in between those goals was an important sliding block from Bradley on Jean-Matteo Bahoya.

Second half

Federico Chiesa replaced Isak and soon got himself involved, lifting a finish just wide in the aftermath of a corner.

It was the first of many chances for Liverpool in the second period as they were well in control of the game and did not let go of it.

Wirtz had a free-kick saved and then linked up nicely with Szoboszlai, who stroked his effort off target.

Ekitike was played in by a tidy ball from Gakpo but denied by Zetterer, before the goalkeeper tipped a fierce Bradley strike onto the post.

It seemed to be a case of when, not if, their fourth goal would come, and it arrived in minute 66.

Wirtz was found by the defence-splitting pass of Szoboszlai and squared across the face of goal to allow Gakpo a simple finish at the back stick.

Szoboszlai deservedly got on the scoresheet 20 minutes before the end, with his goal the pick of the lot.

Wirtz shifted the ball to the No.8 around 25 yards from goal and he took up the invitation to have a go, drilling into the bottom left corner.