2025-26 UEFA Champions League: League Phase – Marseille vs Liverpool

Marseille host Liverpool in their penultimate league phase fixture in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League.

Victory could move Marseille higher up within the knockout play-off placings and position them for a tilt at a top-eight finish on the final day of the league phase, whilst Liverpool can move into the top eight with a win if results elsewhere go in their favour.

 

Team News

Nayef Aguerd is unlikely to be available for Marseille as the game comes too soon after his return from international duty for Africa Cup of Nations runner-up, Morocco.

Ruben Blanco (knee) and Derek Cornelius (muscle) are sidelined.

Liverpool will welcome Mohamed Salah back from international duty for Egypt at Africa Cup of Nations.

Alex Isak (leg), Conor Bradley (knee) and Giovanni Leoni (ACL) remain absent.

 

When is Kick-Off?

Marseille host Liverpool at Stade Velodrome on Wednesday 21 January at 9pm CET (8pm GMT), live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.

 

Stat Attack

• Marseille have won one of four previous Champions League meetings against Liverpool (W1, L3).
• Liverpool have won their two previous Champions League visits to Marseille (W2).
• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s three goals for Marseille in this season’s Champions League have been scored at home.
• Dominik Szoboszlai has scored in each of Liverpool’s last two away games in this phase of the competition (W2).

 

Prediction

With 14 goals scored and two goals conceded in their last two matches, Marseille can come into this realistically must-win game full of renewed confidence with their attack ready to pose issues even if clean sheets in the league phase have been difficult to achieve.

Liverpool meanwhile will be frustrated by their lack of clinical edge against top-quality opposition so far in 2026 and the fact that they didn’t beat Burnley due to wasteful finishing is a worry, but they will be glad to have Salah back which should help them add more sharpness up front.

This game however won’t be easy if Liverpool can’t sort out their final touches but they should be good defensively to try and grind out a draw.

Prediction: Marseille 1-1 Liverpool

Result: Marseille 0-3 Liverpool