Who: Marseille vs Liverpool
Contents: Matchday 7 (of 8), League Phase, UEFA Champions League
Location: Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France
Date and time: Wednesday 9pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: All content will be broadcast on Al Jazeera Sports from 17:00 GMT, ahead of the text commentary stream.
Liverpool, with ambitions of finishing in the top eight on the UEFA Champions League (UCL) ladder, travel to the south of France to take on Marseille in the penultimate game of the group phase.
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Winners of three of their last four UCL games, the Reds currently sit ninth in the standings and will face a dangerous play-off round if they fail to improve further with two games remaining.
Marseille are also knocking on the door to fighting for the top eight, with a three-point difference from Liverpool, and are doing everything they can to take on the English Premier League champions.
Al Jazeera Sports breaks down Wednesday’s crucial match that could ultimately decide which teams make it to the last 16 and who advances to the playoffs.
Will Mohamed Salah play against Marseille?
Mohamed Salah made his long-awaited return to Liverpool training on Tuesday after the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
The Egyptian forward put himself through his paces during a gentle workout with the rest of the team at the club’s training centre.
Salah’s return has been a hot topic since early last month when he took aim at Liverpool in an aggressive interview, accusing the club of “throwing Salah under the bus” after being off the bench for three games in a row and saying he had nothing to do with manager Arne Slott.
However, he came on as a substitute in the 2-0 Premier League win over Brighton on December 13 and provided an assist, after which Slott said the club had moved on from the turmoil.
Slott said last week that he was “delighted” to have Salah back, but refused to reveal the details of his conversations with the 33-year-old.
The Liverpool manager said he did not know whether the player would play against Marseille.
Salah scored 29 league goals last season to help Liverpool win their 20th English league title and claim the Premier League Golden Boot, but he has scored just four goals this season.
Englishman Greenwood leads Ligue 1 Golden Boot with Marseille
Former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood has scored 12 goals in 17 appearances for Marseille, topping Ligue 1’s top scorer list for the 2025-2026 season.
On Saturday, Marseille continued their scoring streak with a 5-2 win over Angers, scoring in the 24th minute as they continued to put pressure on them at the top of Ligue 1.
Greenwood’s incredible goal-scoring feat follows an impressive 2024-2025 season with Marseille, where he was joint top scorer with 21 goals, sharing the honor with Paris Saint-Germain superstar Ousmane Dembele.
The 24-year-old comes from Manchester United’s youth ranks and played for the Red Devils from 2018 to 2024, scoring 22 goals in 83 appearances.
It has been five years since Greenwood made his only appearance for England, in a narrow win over Iceland.
Where are Marseille and Liverpool in the Champions League standings?
With two matches remaining, Liverpool are ninth in the Champions League group stage with 12 points.
Marseille are in 16th place with 3 wins and 3 losses after 6 games. They are one of five teams with nine points.
How many teams automatically qualify for the last 16 from the league stage?
The top eight clubs on the league phase ladder automatically qualify for the Round of 16.
Teams ranked 9th through 24th will compete in a dual knockout playoff round, with the winner securing a spot in the last 16 of the tournament.
When was the last time Liverpool and Marseille won the Champions League?
Liverpool have won the UEFA Champions League six times, their most recent title coming in the 2018-2019 season under manager Jurgen Klopp.
Marseille won their only UEFA Champions League title in 1993 with a 1-0 victory over AC Milan.
When was the last time Liverpool played Marseille in the Champions League?
Liverpool and Marseille will face each other in the Champions League for the first time since the 2008-2009 season.
The two clubs have met four times in Champions League history, with Liverpool holding a 3-1 advantage over the French side.
liverpool team news
Days after the Egyptian star returned from AFCON, Slott remains tight-lipped on whether Salah will score against Marseille.
Liverpool have yet to sign off-season star Alexander Isak, who will be sidelined for another few weeks with a foot injury. Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are also out with lower-body injuries.
Liverpool’s projected starting lineup (4-2-3-1):
Alisson (goalkeeper); Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson. Mac Allister, Gravenbirch. Szoboszlei, Wirtz, Gakpo. Equitique
Marseille team news
Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who also participated in AFCON, has returned and is likely to lead Marseille’s line-up against Liverpool.
Coach Roberto De Zerbi will be without Ruben Blanco and Derek Cornelius due to injury.
Marseille’s projected starting lineup (4-2-3-1):
Lulli (goalkeeper); Murillo, Balerdi, Medina, Emerson. O’Reilly, Hojbjerg. Ware, Greenwood, Paixiao. Aubameyang
past 5 games
Marseille: WLLWW (latest results last, all competitions)
Liverpool: DWDDD (latest results last, all competitions)
