Dominik Szoboszlai credited his thorough preparation for the stunning free kick that put Liverpool ahead in their 3-0 victory over Marseille during the Champions League on Wednesday.
The match remained scoreless until stoppage time at the end of the first half, when Liverpool earned a free kick from 20 yards out after a foul near the Marseille goal.
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As four Marseille players formed a wall, another teammate lay flat on the ground behind them, aiming to block any low strikes when the wall jumped.
All four Marseille players jumped, but Szoboszlai executed a low shot that sailed underneath them and past goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli.
This tactic of having players lie down behind a wall to block low shots is a more recent defensive strategy, but it was not utilized this time at the Velodrome.
“I did my homework and was told that if no one is lying down, I might have a chance to go under the wall,” Szoboszlai explained to TNT Sports. “Since no one was lying down, I decided to try it, and it worked.”
Marseille’s coach, Roberto De Zerbi, acknowledged that it was a “silly goal” for his team to concede.
Despite the return of Mohamed Salah, Szoboszlai was entrusted with taking the free kick.
This was Salah’s first start since Liverpool’s 4-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven on November 26.
“We always discuss these situations together,” Szoboszlai recounted regarding free kicks with Salah. “He asked if I wanted to take it, and I said yes because I saw there was no one lying down. He replied, ‘Okay, go ahead,’ and it went in.”
Salah had faced a challenging month at Liverpool leading up to his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, which left fans questioning the future of the 33-year-old forward at Anfield.
Last December, Salah expressed feeling “thrown under the bus” after a post-match outburst at Leeds, during which he didn’t play in the entirety of a 3-3 draw.
However, Szoboszlai welcomed Salah’s return to the lineup after AFCON, stating, “I’m very glad he’s back. He brings immense value to the team, both on and off the pitch.”
“We have a close bond, and playing alongside him is always a pleasure because he has repeatedly shown he can change the game. Even though he didn’t score or assist today, he put in a solid effort.”
“Sometimes we just have to work hard for the team, and in the next game, he could be the one to score or assist.”
Salah’s efforts did not go unnoticed by Liverpool’s head coach, Arne Slot, who praised his professionalism. “It’s impressive how he maintained his fitness to play 90 minutes with us after being away for over a month training with a different team,” Slot noted, adding, “He came close to scoring, which would typically be expected from him, but it didn’t matter since we secured three goals.”
Liverpool later increased their lead with an own goal from Rulli, deflecting a low pass from Jeremie Frimpong into the net, followed by a stoppage-time goal from substitute Cody Gakpo.
The victory propelled the Premier League champions into fourth place in the Champions League standings, two points clear of ninth-placed Barcelona, with Qarabag on the horizon next week. The top eight teams in the league phase will secure a direct qualification for the last 16 and avoid the playoff round.
“This win is crucial for us, especially since we’ve had to rely on the same group of players for most of the season due to injuries,” Slot said, extending his side’s unbeaten streak to 13 matches.
“This could explain why we’ve sometimes run out of energy in games where we conceded. I don’t think Virgil [van Dijk] has had more than three days off, and the same goes for Ryan [Gravenberch] and others, yet they keep showing up despite the challenges we’ve faced this season.”
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.