Liverpool end poor run with 5-1 thrashing of Frankfurt

Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike scored a ruthless breakaway goal against his former team in a 5-1 Champions League thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt that ended the Reds' woeful streak of four consecutive losses across all competitions.

Arne Slot's side finally found some form after a dismal run of results with Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai also finding the net in a one-sided encounter.

The Liverpool coach rang the changes, with Mohamed Salah starting on the bench, and they looked much improved on their recent displays with summer signing Florian Wirtz providing two assists on his return to Germany.

The hosts started well and opened the scoring when Rasmus Kristensen struck in the 26th minute, firing past the outstretched hands of goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and in off the far post.

But Ekitike drew Liverpool level in the 35th minute, collecting a long pass from Andy Robertson and racing from the halfway line before calmly slotting through the legs of goalkeeper Michael Zetterer.

Ekitike, signed by Liverpool for 69 million pounds ($93.65 million) in July, did not celebrate the goal in a show of respect for his old club.

"It was something special to come back home (to Frankfurt)," Ekitike told TNT Sports. "To win and score my first Champions League goal here was important. I just keep it calm and cool. I knew he (Zetterer) would come and open his legs so I put it between the legs and that worked."

Soon after, Van Dijk and Konate headed home from corners in the 38th and 43rd minutes aided by slack marking from Frankfurt to make it three goals for Liverpool in nine minutes.

Liverpool did not let up in the second half and Gakpo extended their lead in the 66th minute with a sidefoot finish off Wirtz's cross.

Wirtz then teed up Szoboszlai, who added a fifth goal four minutes later on a night that turned ugly for the home side when he drilled a low, hard shot from just outside the box into the bottom corner.

Liverpool had 14 shots on target to Frankfurt's one, keeping Zetterer on his toes all night.

The goalkeeper made a terrific save off a shot from Salah, who came off the bench for the second consecutive Champions League game, in the dying minutes.

The decisive victory was a much-needed confidence boost for Arne Slot's reigning Premier League champions, who had lost four straight games for the first time since November 2014.

"I don't know if it's a statement but it is a win and something to build on," Van Dijk told TNT.

"Obviously we are disappointed with losing games, so it's something we have to deal with, stick together and keep working."

It was Liverpool's first taste of victory since September 23, and the first time they had scored three goals in the first half of a game since December 2024.