Marseille v Liverpool live: Score and latest updates from crunch Champions League tie

Roberto de Zerbi has made two changes to the team that beat Angers 5-2 at the weekend. Benjamin Pavard replaces Emerson at left wingback, while Bilal Nadir drops out in favour of Geoffrey Kondogbia in midfield.

Mohamed Salah returns for Liverpool as Arne Slot makes three changes to the side that drew to Burnley. Salah replaces Cody Gakpo on the wing, with Alexis Mac Allister coming in for Curtis Jones and Joe Gomez replacing Ibrahima Konate in defence.

Marseille XI: Rulli; Murillo, Balerdi, Medina, Pavard, Kondogbia, Hojbjerg, Weah, Greenwood, Traore, Gouiri.

Subs: De Lange, Van Neck, Egan-Riley, Gomes, Vermeeren, Nadir, Bakola, Doubal, O’Riley, Paixao, Mmadi, Aubameyang.

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Frimpong, Gomez, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Ekitike, Wirtz.

Subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Endo, Chiesa, Jones, Gakpo, Robertson, Nyoni, Ngumoha.

The starting line-ups will be released in the next five minutes, so here’s a reminder of the early team news…

Derek Cornelius and Ruben Blanco remain absent for Marseille, while this game will come too soon for Nayef Aguerd after his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final.

Mohamed Salah has been included in the Liverpool squad after returning from Afcon, but Ibrahima Konate has not travelled having returned to France for family reasons. Joe Gomez is likely to partner Virgil van Dijk.

Dominik Szoboszlai is determined to put the worst week of his Liverpool career behind him as the Champions League returns with a top-eight place at stake.

The Hungary captain hit the crossbar with a first-half penalty in the 1-1 draw against Burnley on Saturday, five days after he gifted Barnsley a goal with a backheel in his own six-yard box.

Szoboszlai still has a lot of credit in the bank – he began the FA Cup win over the Tykes with a brilliant 35-yard strike – as the team’s best player this season but he is determined to rediscover his high standards.

These two sides have faced each other four times in this competition in the past, with Liverpool winning three and the French side winning the other.

All four meetings came within a two-year span too, with the first two arriving in the group stages in 2007/08. The French side won 1-0 away on matchday two but lost 4-0 at home on matchday six!

Both of the other meetings came at the same stage the next season, with the Reds winning both – 2-1 away on matchday one and 1-0 at home on matchday five.

Marseille have lost their last three Champions League games against Liverpool, most recently in the 2008/09 group stage (1-2 home, 0-1 away).

Liverpool have won just one of their last six away games against French sides in all competitions (D2 L3), though it was a 1-0 win at PSG in their most recent visit in March 2025.

It was a sign that Palace’s glorious 2025 is giving way to a more uncertain 2026. A transfer triangle can at least offer a reminder of historic feats. Palace have won two major trophies in their history. Guehi lifted both, in the same summer, after Wembley triumphs over Manchester City and Liverpool. They became his two principal suitors; his destination was almost Anfield at the start of September, until Palace pulled the plug on the move. Now it is the Etihad Stadium instead.

The Egypt forward has been included in Arne Slot’s travelling squad after rejoining his team-mates for training on Tuesday following his exploits at the Africa Cup of Nations.

However, France centre-back Ibrahima Konate was absent from the lunchtime session and the squad list due to personal reasons and it is understood he is already back in his homeland.