Liverpool Discovers Their New Star as Salah's Successor Shines Against Inter

A stoppage-time spot kick rescued Liverpool on Tuesday night, securing a 1–0 victory over Inter Milan despite the absence of Mohamed Salah.

The Egyptian forward was omitted from Arne Slot's matchday squad for the Champions League encounter following his public criticism of both his coach and the club. This controversy cast a shadow over the Reds' journey to San Siro.

Apart from a ruled-out first-half strike from Ibrahima Konaté, Liverpool found it difficult to create meaningful opportunities against the Serie A side. The fixture appeared headed for a scoreless stalemate until Florian Wirtz earned his team a disputed penalty in the dying moments.

Dominik Szoboszlai took responsibility for the Reds and converted the decisive spot kick to secure his team's fifth victory in their past 16 fixtures across all tournaments. The crucial three points elevated the 20-time English titleholders to 10th position in the league phase table.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Inter (4-4-2)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Alisson—7.9: Thwarted Lautaro Martínez with an excellent stop in the opening period, though rarely faced serious pressure throughout the evening.

RB: Joe Gomez—6.9: Solid defensively, but greedy in attacking areas. Offered little support to Isak down the right wing.

CB: Ibrahima Konaté—7.4: Avoided major errors on this occasion, much to Slot's relief. Kept his blunders to a bare minimum and was unlucky not to find the net.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—7.3: Performed his duties without fuss. Made vital clearances and tackles that contributed to his team's clean sheet.

LB: Andy Robertson—7.5: Bounced back well after an early heavy challenge left him sprawling. Also manufactured several opportunities from seemingly impossible positions.

RM: Dominik Szoboszlai—7.9: Found it tough to influence proceedings in the opening half, but emerged as the match-winner in the second with his penalty conversion.

CM: Ryan Gravenberch—7.9: Excelled in transition play while also dropping deep to compensate for his colleagues' deficiencies. Composed with the ball.

CM: Alexis Mac Allister—7.4: Strengthened the middle of the park, though could have been more effective in advancing play forward.

LM: Curtis Jones—7.4: A standout performer in the first period and rarely misplaced a pass.

ST: Alexander Isak—6.5: Essentially invisible throughout the contest. Lost possession too easily, lacked physical presence and posed no threat in attack or creation.

ST: Hugo Ekitiké—7.0: Operated in isolation up front. Made minimal attempts to combine with Isak and had limited influence beyond occasional first-half moments of brilliance.

Subs not used: Freddie Woodman (GK), Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK), Milos Kerkez, Wellity Lucky, Rio Ngumoha.

Inter (3-5-2)

Starting XI: Yann Sommer; Manuel Akanji, Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni; Luis Henrique, Nicolò Barella, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco; Lautaro Martínez, Marcus Thuram.

Subs used: Piotr Zieliński, Yann Bisseck, Carlos Augusto, Petar Sučić, Ange-Yoan Bonny.

Player of the Match: Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool)

Inter 0–1 Liverpool—How It Unfolded at San Siro

Both teams arriving after losses in their previous Champions League outings, Inter and Liverpool clashed before a passionate crowd in Milan. Two injury breaks disrupted the early momentum, however, preventing either team from establishing their tempo.

Following an impressive period led by Curtis Jones, the Reds gradually gained control 20 minutes into the match and challenged Yann Sommer with two dangerous long-range efforts. While neither troubled the scorekeeper, it represented an encouraging passage for a Liverpool team eager to return to form.

The away side maintained their pressure on Inter and believed they had broken the deadlock in the 32nd minute. Szoboszlai delivered an inviting cross from the corner that Hugo Ekitiké diverted toward Konaté's head. The defender outmaneuvered Sommer at close quarters to momentarily give his team a 1–0 advantage.

Immediate appeals came from Cristian Chivu's squad, who argued for a handball in the buildup. An extended VAR examination revealed it was indeed Ekitiké's arm—though unintentional—that redirected the ball to Konaté. Referee Felix Zwayer ruled out the goal, restoring parity to the scoreline.

The ruling appeared to energize Inter. The home team seized control of proceedings, with Lautaro Martínez creating the Nerazzurri's finest opportunity late in first-half injury time. The captain directed a deflected header toward Alisson, who produced a brilliant save to frustrate the forward.

As the second period progressed at San Siro, it became increasingly evident that both teams lacked the creative spark necessary to unlock either well-organized defense. Inter sought to capitalize on counter-attacking situations but struggled with their finishing touch.

Liverpool, conversely, dominated possession for extended periods but showed little inventiveness. The poor understanding between Ekitiké and Isak compounded their problems; the strike partnership offered virtually no cohesion up front, leading Slot to substitute the Swedish player with Florian Wirtz in the 68th minute.

The German midfielder would prove instrumental in the visitors' breakthrough. Wirtz had his jersey tugged by Alessandro Bastoni within the penalty box, causing the midfielder to go down. The official initially waved play on but changed his mind after consulting the video monitor.

Szoboszlai channeled his inner Salah from the penalty mark and slotted home from twelve yards, clinching all three points for Liverpool in the 88th minute.

Inter vs. Liverpool Half-Time Stats

Inter vs. Liverpool Full Time Stats