Inter 0-1 Liverpool

After having a goal ruled out by VAR because of a handball, an 88th minute penalty from Dominik Szoboszlai was enough to eventually seal a crucial away win for Liverpool at the San Siro. The penalty was won by Florian Wirtz after he was adjudged to have been pulled back by Alessandro Bastoni in the box.

Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram started up top in Inter’s usual 352, flanked by Luis Henrique on the right in the absence of Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco on the left. In the continued absence of Mo Salah, Arne Slot started Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak up top with four midfielders behind them. Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis MacAllister, Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai.

From minute 1, the UEFA Champions League clash at the San Siro was a tightly contested affair. Liverpool’s altered tactical approach, featuring a midfield diamond and a frontline of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitiké, provided better defensive cover and looked to cause early confusion for the Inter backline.

The opening exchanges saw Liverpool look to settle, while Inter suffered an early setback in the 10th minute. Midfielder Hakan Çalhanoglu was forced off due to injury, with Piotr Zielinski coming on to replace him. The intensity was immediately evident as Inter captain Lautaro Martínez received the first yellow card of the night just two minutes later for a late foul on Andy Robertson.

Liverpool had the first clear attempts on target, testing Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer. In the 14th minute, Curtis Jones forced Sommer into a save with a low shot from outside the box. Moments later, Ryan Gravenberch fired a long-range shot that was also comfortably saved by Sommer. Inter’s early injury woes continued when central defender Francesco Acerbi was replaced by Yann Bisseck in the 31st minute.

The biggest moment of the half arrived in the 32nd minute. Ibrahima Konaté headed in what he thought was the opening goal from a corner, only for it to be ruled out after a lengthy VAR review for a handball by Hugo Ekitiké in the build-up. Despite the goal being disallowed, the overall control and measured approach from Liverpool were noted, as they effectively exploited space against Inter’s three-man central defence.

Inter responded with an attempt that was however blocked when Yann Bisseck’s shot from outside the box was charged down by the Liverpool defence in the 36th minute. Two minutes later, Nicolò Barella curled a free kick just wide of the top left corner in what was deemed a near miss. As the half drew to a close, Hugo Ekitiké was booked for a bad foul in the 39th minute.

Right on the stroke of half-time, Inter created their best chance. In the 45+6 minute of stoppage time, Lautaro Martínez forced a crucial point-blank save from Liverpool’s Alisson Becker with a bullet header from Alessandro Bastoni’s cross.

The second half began with both sides maintaining the tactical battle. Liverpool’s Alexander Isak had an early wayward shot, firing well wide from outside the box in the 48th minute after a steal. The card count continued to rise in the 57th minute when Inter’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan received a yellow card for a late challenge on Dominik Szoboszlai.

Liverpool continued to test Sommer, with Hugo Ekitiké taking a shot from outside the box that was saved centrally in the 62nd minute. Inter’s closest moment came four minutes later, as Nicolò Barella’s volley from a corner clearance drifted just wide of the target.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot introduced a double substitution in the 68th minute, bringing on Conor Bradley for Joe Gomez and Florian Wirtz for the quiet Alexander Isak. The substitutes made an immediate impact. Bradley instantly found Ekitiké, whose first-time shot was blocked. In the 73rd minute, Liverpool’s Curtis Jones picked up a yellow card. The change in personnel injected new life into the Liverpool attack, and in the 79th minute, Bradley forced a sprawling near-post save from Yann Sommer after being released clear by Ekitiké.

Inter responded with a triple substitution in the 82nd minute, replacing Federico Dimarco, Marcus Thuram, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan with Carlos Augusto, Ange-Yoan Bonny, and Petar Sucic, respectively.
The match’s decisive moment came in the 83rd minute. Liverpool were awarded a penalty after Florian Wirtz was fouled in the box by Alessandro Bastoni’s shirt pull. The decision, which some considered “soft”, was confirmed following a VAR review. Bastoni was booked for the foul leading to the penalty in the 86th minute.

Two minutes later, Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up to convert the spot-kick, firing a right-footed shot high into the top left corner, ending the stalemate and giving Liverpool a crucial 1-0 lead. The goal ended Inter’s 18-match unbeaten European home run.

The final minutes saw six minutes of added stoppage time. Despite the late drama and high stakes, Liverpool defended resolutely to see out the result. The match concluded at the 90+6 minute mark with the final score of Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool. Overall, the victory was considered well-deserved by most, highlighting Liverpool’s improved defensive performance and commitment.