Liverpool snapped their four-match losing streak on Wednesday, defeating Eintracht Frankfurt 5–1 in the UEFA Champions League, with Hugo Ekitike scoring against his former club.
After Rasmus Kristensen gave Frankfurt an early lead, Ekitike equalised for the English champions before Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, Cody Gakpo, and Dominik Szoboszlai all found the net — the latter two assisted by Florian Wirtz, who impressed on his return to Germany.
Liverpool entered the tie facing the prospect of their worst run of defeats in 73 years, dating back to the 1953–54 season, when they were relegated from the top flight. Manager Arne Slot opted to rest the struggling Mohamed Salah, but his side again conceded first when Kristensen finished off a swift counterattack in the 26th minute.
The goal came after Nathaniel Brown had dispossessed Wirtz, allowing Frankfurt to surge forward. Mario Götze released Kristensen, who cut inside onto his right foot and smashed home past Caoimhin Kelleher.
Liverpool, however, responded immediately. In 35 minutes, Andy Robertson launched a long ball from deep to Ekitike, who broke through and calmly slotted past Michael Zetterer, raising his hands in apology to the Frankfurt fans.
Just four minutes later, Van Dijk powered a header past his marker, Ansgar Knauff, from a Gakpo corner to give Liverpool the lead. Moments before half-time, Konaté repeated the feat, again beating Knauff in the air to make it 3–1.
In the second half, Wirtz — who had yet to register a goal or assist in either the Premier League or Champions League since joining Liverpool — came alive. The German midfielder set up Gakpo and Szoboszlai in quick succession to seal a dominant 5–1 victory.
Despite Wirtz’s creative breakthrough, Alexander Isak endured another quiet night and was substituted at half-time for Federico Chiesa.
The comprehensive win will provide a significant confidence boost for Slot’s team, though sterner tests lie ahead. Frankfurt, meanwhile, has now conceded 23 goals in their past six matches, a run that leaves them searching for answers at both ends of the pitch.
