The Reds are well-placed to automatically qualify for the last 16 of the competition after a 3-0 away win at Marseille on Wednesday (21.01.26) and the coach has called for his players to finish the job by winning next week's final league phase game against Qarabag to avoid playing two additional matches in the play-off round.

Slot said: "It’s very important because we have had to play with the same players because of injuries for most of the season.

"That could be the reason why we have run out of energy in some of the games when we’ve conceded.

"I don’t think Virgil (van Dijk) has had more than three days off, the same for Ryan (Gravenberch) and others but they constantly show up no matter how many setbacks we’ve had this season."

Slot was impressed with the way his team performed against the French side as they stretched their unbeaten run to 13 games in all competitions.

The Dutch manager said: "It’s always very difficult to play Marseille because of their passionate fans and the quality of their players, but what makes it even harder is the quality of their manager.

"We were prepared for that. We took the ball off them three or four times in the first half but couldn’t find the player who was completely free, apart from one time and he (Hugo Ekitike) was fractionally offside.

"On the ball we were controlled but what made the difference this time was that after we had a big chance and hit the post, they had a big chance and put it over: usually this season that goes in.

"But we were able to make it 2-0, 3-0 and so that makes the perception of the game completely different.

"Against Burnley (last weekend's 1-1 draw) we created three or four times more than we did tonight but tonight we scored three."