Marseille 0-3 Liverpool result - Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo on target as the visitors take a major step towards finishing in the top eight

Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo were on target as Liverpool took a significant step towards automatically qualifying for the UEFA Champions League last 16 with a 3-0 victory at Marseille.

Hungarian midfielder Szoboszlai fired a clever free kick under the wall on the stroke of half time to grab his seventh goal of the season.

Hugo Ekitike went close to doubling the visitors’ advantage following the restart with a shot against the crossbar while Hamed Traoré and Mason Greenwood went close for the home side.

It became an open and end-to-end game in the final stages, but it was the visitors who added a second 18 minutes from time when goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli diverted Jeremie Frimpong’s cut back into his own net.

Substitute Gakpo then polished off a slick move in stoppage time to seal a deserved win for the Merseysiders.

The results sees Liverpool rise to fourth in the League Phase standings and two points ahead of the sides just outside the top eight. It means Arne Slot’s men will avoid the play-offs and qualify directly for the knockout stage if they beat Qarabag next Wednesday.

 Marseille are down in 19th spot and will hope to secure a place in the play-offs when they visit Club Brugge.

"I thought it was a solid, really experienced performance. Liverpool's experienced players played really well tonight. Three really good goals and they looked really dangerous going forward. They were ruthless in the right moments, and the most pleasing thing for Arne besides the clean sheet will be how they took the game away from Marseille. At 1-0, there were a few breakaways where Liverpool looked a little bit open, but outside of that it was a really solid performance."

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"It's been an excellent performance from Liverpool. It's been an excellent night, from start to finish. They've not been under any threat, Alisson hasn't been asked to do an awful lot as they've defended well. The back four has been solid, they've had the better players on the pitch, have created the better chances, and thoroughly deserve the victory."

Marseille 0-3 Liverpool.

Ally McCoist on TNT Sports comms: "Let me see that touch again [from Szoboszlai] into Gravenberch. It opens the whole pitch. Gakpo then steadies himself and you just knew he was going to finish it with great ease. What a tremendous touch from Szoboszlai."

That's the icing on the cake.

A slick counter sees Szoboszlai and Gravenberch tee up Gakpo to lash into the corner from the left side of the box.

Greenwood seizes upon a real mix-up between three Liverpool defenders and plays in Aubameyang, who forces an excellent save out of Alisson.

Three minutes added.

"I think I have to see that again. He tries to hit it with the outside of his left foot around the goalkeeper but he gets it all wrong. It ends up further wide than his starting position. He could've done with that going in as well."

Gakpo seizes upon an error off a long ball and plays in Salah, but the Egyptian tries an outside of the foot finish and skews it horribly wide of the near post.

Liverpool will rise to fourth in the League Phase standings and two points ahead of the sides just outside the top eight.

Marseille will sit 19th and would no longer be able to reach the top eight.

Liverpool are conceding more and more ground and lack the physical presence of Ekitike up top now...

Wirtz and Ekitike off.

Gakpo and Jones on.

"Frimpong deserves all the credit. He goes outside the defender who thinks he can use his body, but he can't. It doesn't happen if Frimpong doesn't make that break. It hits Medina but the final touch comes off the goalkeeper Rulli."

And now they have got it.

Marseille were pushing and it felt like something would give at one end and it's the visitors who have silenced the crowd inside the Velodrome.

It's all about Frimpong as he darts to the right byline, holds off his man and fires in a low ball that flicks off the 'keeper and flies into the far corner.

It's so, so close from the Egyptian, but the flag belatedly goes up so it would not have counted.

Paixao, Aubameyang and Nadir on.

Gouiri, Traore and Kondogbia off.