Szoboszlai’s trick free kick gave Liverpool a lead

The Marseille defensive wall had no solid foundation and Dominik Szoboszlai’s trick free kick gave Liverpool a lead it never gave up in the Champions League. Szoboszlai went low when the Marseille defenders jumped high to open the scoring in Liverpool’s 3-0 win. The game was goalless entering stoppage time at the end of the first half when Liverpool was awarded a free kick for a foul 20 meters (yards) from the Marseille goal.

Four Marseille players stood in a defensive wall with no extra protection from a teammate lying stretched on the turf behind them, intended to block a low shot when they all jump. That prone position is a relatively recent addition to soccer’s defensive strategy and is commonly seen — just not this time at the Velodrome. 

All four Marseille players leaped in unison, and Szoboszlai struck his shot low and true beneath them, beyond the dive of goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli. Liverpool added on in the second half from Rulli’s own goal, diverting Jeremie Frimpong’s low pass into the goal mouth, and substitute Cody Gakpo’s stoppage-time shot.