Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah on the mark as Liverpool take big step toward last eight

Liverpool's Roberto Firmino celebrates scoring the opening goal. Picture: Fabrizio Carabelli

Inter 0 Liverpool 2

Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah claimed the goals that left Liverpool a on the brink of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals but it was manager Jurgen Klopp who deserved the plaudits for a tactical masterclass.

Having brought on the Brazilian at half-time, Klopp made three further substitutions on the hour as Inter threatened to sweep the Premier League team aside in a strong start to the second half.

And, although they had to battle through long periods of Inter possession, on 75 minutes Andy Robertson’s corer was met by Firmino on the corner of the six-yard box and he glanced the perfect header past Samir Handanovic.

Better was to come from the first leg tie, seven minutes from time, when Trent Alexander-Arnold swung in a corner which Virgil van Dijk headed down and Inter failed to clear.

There, inevitably, was Salah 12 yards out and the clinical Egyptian swept in his 24th goal of an extraordinary season for Klopp’s team.

The Champions League may be Liverpool’s best remaining hope of silverware this season — although, as is the case in the Premier League, their rivals Manchester City look the team to beat.

But that had not prevented Klopp from naming 18-year-old Harvey Elliott in the starting line-up for a Champions League debut that made the teenager the youngest Liverpool player in the competition’s history.

It was a move that looked bold and, arguably given the way events transpired, one that did not work well. But how Klopp made up for that with his later substitutions.

First, there was an anxious moment for the Reds after a quarter of an hour when Ivan Perisic crossed for Hakan Calhanoglu whose shot skimmed off the Liverpool cross-bar and flew to safety.

But Liverpool were marginally more threatening. Just before Inter hit the bar, Mane rose well to meet a magnificent Roberston free-kick and should have done better than plant his header over.

There was a chance of Sadio Mane, after Ibrahima Konate helped a corner into his path, which ended in an ambitious and hopeful overhead kick into the side netting.

Having come through group play as the first English team to complete a Champions League group stage with a perfect six out of six wins, confidence was high that Liverpool could enjoy an extended run in the competition.

But a dangerous Inter lay in wait. Towards the end of an entertaining first half, Inter defender Milan Skriniar rose well to head just wide from a corner while the period ended with van Dijk required to show an impressive turn of pace to deny Edin Dzeko as he headed towards goal.

There was a surprise in store at the interval, and an enforced change for Klopp as Firmino was sent on in place of Jota who, having missed the weekend win over Burnley with a dead leg he had suffered in training, was presumably still suffering from its effects.

It was a change that Klopp would have hoped to delay until later in the game and one that coincided with his team making a poor start to the second half and Inter threatening to draw first blood.

Perisic was particularly lively, torturing Alexander-Arnold down Inter’s left and soon squaring for Marcelo Brozovic whose shot from the edge of the area was disappointingly inaccurate.

Van Dijk was particularly important as Liverpool battled to contain a much more energetic start but when Inter cut their visitors apart on 52 minutes, Perisic’s cross was almost met by Lautaro Martinez who sprinted in unmarked and narrowly missed heading into an open net at the far post.

Liverpool were under pressure, with one of the side effects being the fact that full-backs Alexander-Arnold and Robertson were pinned back on defensive duties and completely unable to join in their team’s attacks.

Konate had to make a vital block to prevent Perisic feeding the ball to two unmarked team mates and, with the San Siro getting louder by the minute, Klopp had seen enough and made a triple substitution on the hour.

Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Luis Diaz were thrown on to bolster a midfield that had been first swamped and then by-passed by the confident Italians.

Dzeko had the ball in the net, but only because the linesman delayed his flag with the former Manchester City striker racing clear from a clearly offside position.

And the substitutes seemed to work, Diaz especially, with the Liverpool newcomer twice having to be stopped by god defending from full-back Skriniar.

It did not take Inter long to respond, after sending on Manchester United failure Alexis Sanchez, and Denzel Dumfries might have done better than power over a header from a Calhanoglu corner.

Seconds later, Firmino showed him the way to do it and Liverpool had a priceless lead which Salah would go on to extend.

INTER (3-5-2): Handanovic 6; Skriniar 7, de Vrij 6 (Ranocchia 87), Bastoni 6 (Dimarco 90); Dumfries 5 (Darmian 87), Vidal 6 (Gagliardini 87), Brozovic 5, Calhanoglu 7, Perisic 9; Martinez 5 (Sanchez 70, 5), Dzeko 6.

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson 6; Alexander-Arnold 6, Konate 7, Van Dijk 7, Robertson 7; Thiago 6 (Milner 86), Fabinho 6 (Henderson 59, 7), Elliott 5 (Keita 60, 7); Salah 7, Jota 6 (Firmino 45, 8), Mane 6 (Diaz 59, 8).

Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland) 8