Liverpool and Arne Slot continue to find their release on European soil. What had been billed as an intimidating, intense examination of the faltering Premier League champions by Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille proved nothing of the sort as Slot’s side moved confidently towards automatic qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League.

Dominik Szoboszlai, an own goal forced by Jeremie Frimpong and the substitute Cody Gakpo brought Liverpool a merited victory in the south of France plus a ninth win in 11 European away fixtures under Slot. The margin of victory could have been even greater but, having struggled to turn possession into chances and chances into wins of late, the Liverpool head coach will take satisfaction from a comprehensive triumph all the same.

Liverpool made a confident start at the passionate Stade Vélodrome, where the noise started cranking up an hour and a half before kick-off and never let up. Slot deployed the midfield diamond formation that worked effectively in his team’s last European outing, away at Inter, but unlike that night at San Siro there was a place for Mohamed Salah. The Egypt international, dropped against Inter as a consequence of that explosive interview at Leeds, was straight back into the starting lineup following his return from the Africa Cup of Nations.

“Let’s see the lineup tomorrow if you still think there’s an issue,” Slot had said at the pre-match press conference when asked about his relationship with Salah. The pertinent, unanswered questions concern Salah’s issues with Liverpool and Slot, however, not vice versa.

Both teams wore black armbands and joined the applause before kick-off for the former Marseille player and manager Rolland Courbis, who died on 12 January. The pre-match buildup also featured an impressive tifo of the Beatles reading a copy of La Provence newspaper with the headline ‘Que l’histoire se repete’ – Let history repeat itself – above an image of Didier Drogba celebrating knocking Liverpool out of the Uefa Cup in 2004. The Marseille fans, it turned out, were far more creative than their team.

The hosts appeared more intimidated by the occasion than the visitors and, unusually for a De Zerbi team, struggled in possession throughout the first half. Alisson saved an angled drive from Amine Gouiri and bravely at the feet of Benjamin Pavard but otherwise Liverpool carried the only serious threat.

Mohamed Salah regrets a missed chance after returning to Arne Slot’s starting lineup. Photograph: Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA

Alexis Mac Allister, who played under De Zerbi at Brighton, dragged an early chance just wide of the far post before Hugo Ekitiké converted following an incisive Liverpool counterattack. Ryan Gravenberch capitalised on a loose touch by Geoffrey Kondogbia to release Salah, who in turn found Szoboszlai in space on the right. Ekitiké was just offside when sweeping the midfielder’s low cross under the goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli, however.

Marseille’s repeated mistakes on the ball drove their head coach to distraction on the sideline. But credit to Liverpool for enforcing so many with their relentless pressing and by shutting off the options to the central defenders Leonardo Balerdi and Facundo Medina. Another lapse, deep in Liverpool territory, gifted the visitors another counterattack that resulted in Salah flicking an audacious volley from Frimpong’s cross just over the bar.

Liverpool’s deserved lead arrived on the cusp of half-time after Balerdi, a persistent danger to his own team, felled Gravenberch just outside the Marseille penalty area. There was a lengthy wait for the free-kick to be taken while the video assistant referee checked – and eventually cleared – a possible handball by Timothy Weah inside the box moments earlier. Szoboszlai ensured a spot-kick was unnecessary. Spotting Rulli stranded too far to the right of his goal, and the Marseille wall lining up without a draft excluder, the Liverpool midfielder swept the set piece underneath and inside the keeper’s left-hand post. For Szoboszlai, it was a welcome break having missed a penalty against Burnley on Saturday and been accused of disrespect in the FA Cup defeat of Barnsley.

De Zerbi’s touchline anger was clearly channelled into his interval instructions as Marseille started the second half with far greater intent. Mason Greenwood forced Alisson into a fine save with a shot that dipped from 25 yards after he had evaded Florian Wirtz’s challenge. The former Manchester United forward also led a dangerous break that resulted in Hamed Traoré firing wastefully over with only the Liverpool keeper to beat.

Jeremie Frimpong forces an own goal to double Liverpool’s lead. Photograph: Manon Cruz/Reuters

Greenwood’s two flashes sandwiched an excellent chance for Ekitiké to double Liverpool’s lead from an incisive Szoboszlai pass. The forward’s first-time hit cannoned against a post. Slot may have had flashbacks to his team’s failure to kill off Burnley when Wirtz was denied by Rulli at his near post and Ekitiké sent another good opening over the bar.

But those concerns were banished when Frimpong ensured the Marseille crowd fell silent for only the second time. Wirtz and Ekitiké combined brilliantly before finding Mac Allister lurking in space outside the box. The midfielder sent Frimpong scurrying away from substitute Igor Paixão on the right and his tenacity was rewarded when his low cross trickled inside the far post via a touch off both Medina and Rulli. The effort was credited as an own goal by the keeper. Liverpool were too busy celebrating to care and grabbed another goal in stoppage time when Gakpo emphatically converted Gravenberch’s assist.