Liverpool ended a dismal run of four straight defeats with a resounding 5–1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League, rediscovering their spark in a rampant display that eased the pressure on Jürgen Klopp’s reigning Premier League champions.
The hosts had looked the sharper side for much of the opening half-hour and took a deserved lead when Rasmus Kristensen lashed home a precise finish midway through the first half. For a brief moment, Liverpool’s recent fragility appeared set to continue.
But the visitors responded with fury and finesse. Former Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitiké struck the equaliser with a clinical finish against his old club, sparking a surge that would effectively settle the contest before half-time.
Virgil van Dijk rose to power home a trademark header moments later, before fellow centre-back Ibrahima Konaté made it 3–1 from another corner in the 43rd minute.
Liverpool’s dominance only grew after the interval. Florian Wirtz, increasingly influential since joining in the summer, teed up Cody Gakpo for the fourth before repeating the trick for Dominik Szoboszlai to cap a commanding night.
The result snapped Liverpool’s worst losing streak in seven decades and restored a sense of momentum to their European campaign, with two wins now from three matches in the group stage.
“It was the reaction we needed,” Klopp said afterwards. “The players showed character, belief and quality. Losing four in a row is not what Liverpool does, tonight was more like us.”
For Frankfurt, who had harboured hopes of upsetting the visitors, the defeat was a brutal reality check. Their defensive resilience disintegrated after the opener, leaving them fifth in the group and facing an uphill climb to reach the knockout rounds.
