Liverpool’s authority on the European stage was laid bare at the Vélodrome as Olympique de Marseille were comprehensively beaten 3–0, a result that left little room for consolation and underlined the gulf in efficiency between the two sides.
From the opening exchanges, the Premier League club imposed their rhythm, pressing high and circulating the ball with confidence, while Marseille struggled to establish any attacking foothold.
The defeat effectively summed up an evening in which OM were second best in most areas, and Amine Gouiri’s subdued display up front came to symbolise the home side’s broader attacking difficulties.
Selected as the central striker by Roberto De Zerbi, the Algerian international was tasked with leading the line against a disciplined and physically imposing Liverpool defence.
The challenge quickly proved demanding. Isolated for long periods and frequently forced to receive the ball with his back to goal, Gouiri found it difficult to influence proceedings inside the penalty area.
Liverpool’s centre-backs restricted space expertly, cutting off passing lanes and limiting the striker’s opportunities to turn and attack.
Marseille’s struggles in possession compounded the problem. With limited movement around him and Liverpool’s relentless pressing disrupting the build-up, Gouiri often dropped deep in search of the ball.
While this helped OM maintain brief spells of possession, it further reduced their presence in advanced areas and blunted any threat in the final third.
The clearest illustration of Marseille’s attacking output arrived midway through the first half. In the 27th minute, Gouiri produced OM’s best chance of the match, firing a shot from a narrow angle that was comfortably dealt with by Alisson.
It was a rare moment of danger and, ultimately, an isolated one against a Liverpool side that remained largely untroubled.
As the match wore on, the pattern did not change. Liverpool continued to control the tempo, while Marseille’s forward line struggled to find cohesion or penetration.
Gouiri made several runs and attempted to stretch the defence, but support was limited and clear openings failed to materialise.
Withdrawn in the 76th minute, the 24-year-old left the pitch having worked diligently but without the decisive contribution needed to alter the course of the game.
His performance was not one of glaring errors, but rather of quiet frustration, reflecting a collective display in which Marseille were outmatched.
In the end, the evening belonged entirely to Liverpool. For Marseille, and for Gouiri in particular, it was a reminder that at this level, precision, movement and collective sharpness are essential — qualities that were decisively lacking on a chastening European night.
