Liverpool put in the perfect away performance in Europe to come out of a tough encounter at the San Siro with a 2-0 win, courtesy of two late goals. Inter Milan were arguably the better side for the opening hour and pushed the Reds all the way, before Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah struck to tilt the tie Liverpool’s way.
We’ve seen Liverpool run riot in major European away games in recent years, but this was a performance of immense desire, and one that will bring huge satisfaction to Jurgen Klopp and his coaching staff. They were consistently harried by the Italian champions, who created several chances of their own and managed to nullify the fearsome Liverpool attack for the majority of the match.
It took one set piece, headed home by substitute Firmino, to knock the wind out of Inter’s sails. Then, as he so often does, Salah bagged the clincher from close range as Liverpool scored with both of their shots on target.
Inter were superb and deserve huge credit for their efforts, but Klopp’s use of his squad, having made three substitutes on the hour mark, played a major role in winning this first leg. How happy he must be to have a fully-fit squad to choose from, with the AFCON now done and dusted.
With just two shots on target all night, this game perhaps didn’t pan out exactly how the Reds were hoping. Early on, the hosts set out their stall. Sadio Mane headed over from a wonderful Andy Robertson free-kick but the hosts were testing Klopp’s Reds to the limit. Every attack was seemingly smothered and they were constantly asking questions of their English visitors.
Hakan Calhanoglu saw his effort come back off the bar after Ivan Perisic was afforded too much space before Mane saw his overhead kick hit the side netting. Only a Stefan De Vrij interception stopped a certain Liverpool goal as Inter dug in at the San Siro.
De Vrij had complained of double vision after receiving a knock to the head and remarkably went back onto the pitch for a further 20 minutes before half time. Despite calls for tighter rules around concussion, nothing has truly been done, and this was yet another example of the match taking precedence over a player’s health.
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Virgil van Dijk continued to show his pedigree, limiting the Inter forwards to half chances. Even when Edin Dzeko looked to be in on goal, the Dutch defender used his speed and size to snuffle out the opportunity.
With Inter’s wing-backs ‘cheating’, staying high up the pitch to force Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold back, the first half was an entertaining affair, even if neither side could quite get that all important opener.
However, Inter came out in the second half stronger as Perisic got on the end of a superb cross field ball but his cross couldn’t find its target. The Italian champions were defensively solid, and caused Liverpool all sorts of issues on the break.
On the night where Harvey Elliott became the youngest player to ever start for Liverpool in a European competition, he simply couldn’t influence the midfield and Inter played around his aggressive press.
Mane, Fabinho and Elliott were withdrawn before the hour as Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Luis Diaz were introduced. On a night where the first eleven had been so stretched, it was arguably Klopp’s substitutes, and the reliance on his squad that won this game for the Reds.
With no away goals rule in Europe anymore, Liverpool didn’t need to attack, but it isn’t in their nature to sit back and soak up pressure. Dumfries saw his header fly over the bar from a corner, but then, from Liverpool’s own corner, the goal arrived.
Defensively, Liverpool had been resolute, and it took a set piece to open the scoring. Andy Robertson whipped a wonderful ball in and half-time substitute Firmino pulled off a spectacular header to find the far corner and give Klopp’s side the lead.
Perisic fizzed one over the bar in response but then the killer blow came. De Vrij failed to clear as a header was knocked down in the box, and Salah was there to find the back of the net, via a deflection. Inter had been brilliant, but Liverpool’s clinical nature away from home in Europe probably put this tie to bed.
With huge resilience and a brutally clinical nature, Liverpool will be delighted with their Italian job.
