Arne Slot returned to his happy hunting ground at the Stade Velodrome, guiding Liverpool to a dominant 3-0 Champions League victory marked by the long-awaited return of Mohamed Salah.
The win extended Liverpool’s unbeaten streak to 13 matches—the longest current run in Europe’s top five leagues.
Slot debuted a bold 4-2-2-2 formation, pairing Salah with Hugo Ekitike while utilizing summer signings Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez to provide width.
Making his first start since November, Salah played the full 90 minutes. Slot praised his “immense professionalism” following a period of friction between the two.
The new shape relieved Salah of defensive tracking duties, a move Steven Warnock claimed made him “fresher and more dangerous.”
Despite the win, Slot’s post-match comments about struggling against defensive “low blocks” drew a rebuke from club legend Steven Gerrard, who urged the manager to accept them as a standard challenge for Liverpool.
The result draws a line under recent internal tensions, proving that both manager and star player are ready to move forward as Liverpool maintains its pursuit of European glory.
