Marseille vs Liverpool prediction 21.01.2026 | Champions League

Marseille have a good 2025/26 season. In the French Ligue 1, they are third in the standings, while in the Champions League, Roberto De Zerbi's team collected nine points in six matches and is close to the knockout phase. Marseille are in solid form with five victories in the last seven games across all competitions. In the most recent outing, De Zerbi's team won 5-2 on the road against Angers. The guests had a 4-0 lead late in the first half, so there was never any doubt who would come away with victory.  

After three points last weekend, Marseille's head coach, Roberto De Zerbi, commented on the upcoming game against Liverpool. He said, "Liverpool is a very strong team. So we'll have to improve even more to be able to stay in the game for the full 90 minutes. We can be very strong, but if we're not focused, we can lose against anyone. If we're well prepared, we can compete against anyone."

Neal Maupay, Theo Vermot, Ruben Blanco, and Benjamin Pavard are unavailable for the game against Liverpool, while Bilal Nadir is questionable.

Before the season started, Liverpool were expected to be at least in contention for another Premier League title. Instead, they are 14 points behind the league leader, Arsenal, so top-four status is the only thing they can hope for. In the Champions League, they had two unexpected defeats, but they are not without chances to finish among the best eight teams in the competition and qualify for the 1/8 final phase. 

Liverpool remain unbeaten in their last 12 matches, yet their recent form has been far from convincing. Four of their last five games ended in draws, some of which were particularly surprising. One of the shocking draws was last weekend, when Arne Slot's team played only 1-1 at home against Burnley. The home side ended with an xG of 3.19, while the guests had only 0.40, but despite creating numerous chances, they were unable to convert their superiority into three points.

Although Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 12 matches, Arne Slot's position remains under serious pressure. There are reports that the board is losing patience and could lose its job soon. Xabi Alonso, who Real Madrid recently sacked, is considered the preferred replacement should the Reds decide to make a managerial change.

Stefan Bajcetic, Conor Bradley, Alexander Isak, Giovanni Leoni, Callum Scanlon, and Rhys are unavailable for the trip to Marseille. Also, Mohamed Salah could be available after the African Cup of Nations ended last weekend.