Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Liverpool: Why Arne Slot must win Champions League clash in Germany to avoid qualification nightmare

Liverpool must beat Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday in order to avoid the risk of entering into a playoff tie, Reds expert David Lynch has insisted.

The Merseysiders will be licking their wounds from a damaging defeat against Manchester United on Sunday, with the 2-1 loss the fourth consecutive game they have been beaten in.

Galatasaray emerged as 1-0 winners in that four-game losing streak on September 30 against the Reds, who are 17th in the Champions League table with three points from a possible six.

Lynch spoke of the importance of not falling behind in the race for the eight automatic qualification spots to the next round, telling Sports Mole: "They have an opportunity to bounce back because Galatasaray away was a tough evening. It's a game Liverpool shouldn't be losing, but they did.

"They've got to put that right immediately and they've got to get straight back on the horse and get the wins, because otherwise if you lose this one, all of a sudden you're hurtling towards a situation where you don't finish in the top eight.

"That would be an absolute disaster for Liverpool. They don't want those two extra games this season, because their title rivals (Arsenal and Manchester City) won't have them. It's very important that they get back to winning ways."

Arne Slot's side would find themselves in a round of 16 playoff tie if they finished between 24th and ninth, but doing so would add two extra fixtures to an already congested schedule.

Should Liverpool comfortably beat Eintracht Frankfurt?

Though Liverpool have been in poor form for some time, they will be encountering an Eintracht Frankfurt side that have lost four, drawn one and won two of their last seven matches.

The Eagles have also conceded 18 times in their past five games, but the hosts also scored 12 times in that period.

Previewing the clash, Lynch highlighted that Frankfurt have lost star players in recent windows and should be more vulnerable than they were last season, when he told Sports Mole: "They've lost key players - they're not the force that they were last season when they had Marmoush and Ekitike working together.

"It's three wins, three defeats and one draw in the Bundesliga so far this season. I know it can be a tricky place to go in terms of the atmosphere, but quality-wise, Liverpool are on a different level to Frankfurt. This is an opportunity to bounce back.

"Manchester United, Eintracht Frankfurt - two very different tests, but two tests that will go a long way to deciding where Liverpool are up to this season."

Liverpool topped their Champions League group last term with a record of seven wins and one defeat, and their solitary loss came when they had already qualified for the round of 16, so failure to beat Frankfurt would mean they are unable to match the 21 points they totalled in the league phase in 2024-25.

What would a defeat mean for Liverpool's Real Madrid clash?

While a defeat on Wednesday would not be terminal for the club's chances of automatic qualification, it would mean that there would be additional importance on their final five games of the league phase.

The Reds will face Real Madrid in their fourth Champions League match of the season on November 4, and given 16 points were needed to finish in the top eight in 2024-25, Slot's side would likely have to win against Real to have a good chance of automatic progression.

When asked by Sports Mole if Liverpool can afford to lose on Wednesday, Lynch expressed his view that anything other than a win would create significant pressure, saying: "This is why losing to Galatasaray, a team you should be beating, creates immediate pressure on you.

"The good thing about this format is you have long enough to bounce back as it's eight games rather than six, but throw in another loss here to Frankfurt, or even a draw, and then it's Real Madrid next, and there's suddenly big pressure on that game.

"Another bad result there and it's going to be tough to get in that top eight, which is massively crucial. [Losing] is a concern, so Liverpool will know the importance of this one."

A loss would also undoubtedly place more scrutiny on Slot's use of the squad given he was backed significantly in the summer, so he will be desperate to right the wrongs of the past weeks.

> Click here to listen to the full discussion on Liverpool's Champions League clash against Eintracht Frankfurt