Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher got his wish against Eintracht Frankfurt as Mohamed Salah was taken out of the starting team, with Arne Slot making a bold call on the Egyptian.
The Reds boss was rewarded with an emphatic victory in Germany, with Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz among those to play well. Slot switched up his formation and the Liverpool team looked much more balanced.
However, Slot will face some headaches ahead of the weekend's trip to Brentford in the Premier League. Salah will expect to come back into the side, while Ryan Gravenberch may have returned from injury by then.
"I spoke about that last night and obviously Arne was watching," Carragher said ahead of kick-off. "Maybe he's got a dodgy box!"
"Punditry isn't my full-time job... I've got a little side one where I speak to the Liverpool coaching staff," he joked.
"When Mo Salah isn't being the legendary Mo Salah, he gets treated like one of the other players, which is right. He's 33 years of age and Liverpool will have three games in six days.
"At the moment, if he isn't at his best, he shouldn't play three games in six days. There are other options there as well. We know Liverpool have spent a lot of money.
"Liverpool have got a big game at the weekend as well, so great decision, Arne."
Despite going a goal behind, Liverpool clicked into some attacking form. Ekitike equalized against his old side and then Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate netted before half-time.
In the second period, Wirtz got two assists. The first set up Cody Gakpo to score, and the second was a simple nudge to Dominik Szoboszlai, who slid the ball into the corner from outside the penalty area.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
On playing Ekitike and Alexander Isak together as a front two, Slot said before kick-off: "What we need to try again today is create as many chances as we did the last few weeks. Then it is very helpful that we have two players in the team who can score a goal.
"We are hoping and expecting Jeremie Frimpong to create something for these two from the right and Cody Gakpo trying to do the same from the left, with Wirtz's creativity in and around our two number nines.
"They can play together, they showed it against Manchester United — although that was in the second half. It just means our midfield will be structured a little differently."

1 week ago
6








English (US) ·