The Reds produced an impressive away display.
Liverpool put the Mohamed Salah saga to one side as Dominik Szoboszlai’s contentious late penalty gave them a 1-0 win Champions League win at Inter Milan.
The Reds made the trip to San Siro with the build-up dominated by the absence of Salah, left at home by Arne Slot following comments he made in the wake of their 3-3 draw at Leeds United last Saturday.
Liverpool’s record Premier League goalscorer claimed he had been “thrown under the bus” after being left on the bench for three successive matches and suggested he no longer had a relationship with Slot.
Slot’s men never played like a side distracted in Milan, though, and appeared to have a deserved opener in the 32nd minute when Ibrahima Konate headed home, only for that effort to be controversially ruled out for handball against Hugo Ekitike following a VAR review.
Yet Liverpool were impressively resolute in a performance that was the antithesis of some of their recent defensive showings in the Premier League, though their winner came in fortuitous circumstances.
Referee Felix Zwayer was for the second time sent to the pitchside monitor after Alessandro Bastoni’s seemingly innocuous shirt pull on Florian Wirtz, and he pointed to the spot to allow Szoboszlai to seal the points with an emphatic penalty.
With 12 points from six league phase games, Liverpool can be confident they have done enough to seal a place in the knockout rounds, and are in a strong position to finish in the top eight and qualify automatically for the last 16.
VAR denies Konate
Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch and Ekitike all brought saves out of Yann Sommer in a bright start for Liverpool as Inter lost two players to injury in the first half, Hakan Calhanoglu and Francesco Acerbi forced off.
It appeared as if Liverpool had their reward, courtesy of an unlikely source, when Konate headed in from point-blank range.
Konate, who needlessly gave away a penalty against Leeds with a very ill-advised challenge, has been the target of consistent criticism for his performances as Liverpool’s Premier League title defence has faltered dramatically.
The goal would have served as a huge boost for the defender, but Zwayer’s first trip to the monitor saw him deem that the ball had been illegally propelled into the path of the Frenchman by compatriot Ekitike.
There appeared to be no intent on the part of Ekitike, with replays also indicating the ball had been headed onto his arm by team-mate Virgil van Dijk.
Zwayer’s decision to disallow the goal prompted an incredulous response from Slot and his players, and the lift it gave Inter will have been concerning to the visitors, with Nicolo Barella curling a free-kick wide for Inter before Lautaro Martinez drew a fine save from Alisson.
Liverpool win it late
Yet there was precious little in terms of clear-cut chances for Inter thereafter. Marcus Thuram and Barella each tried their luck from long range, but Liverpool were comfortable and saw Conor Bradley go close to putting them ahead when his far post effort was repelled by Sommer.
But there was nothing Sommer could do after Zwayer deemed that Bastoni’s tug on Wirtz was sufficiently strong enough to merit a spot-kick.
Inter captan Martinez was aghast at that decision, and Szoboszlai ensured his anguish was furthered with a penalty high and to the goalkeeper’s right as Liverpool took all three points from one of their best performances of a trying season so far.
