Liverpool wobble but Alexis Sanchez red card costs Inter in Champions League
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah goes past Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni during the Champions League round of 16 second leg match at Anfield. Picture: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.
Liverpool finally looked vulnerable at Anfield, losing at home for the first time in 366 days, but thanks to Alexis Sanchez’s lack of discipline and a two-goal first leg lead, Jurgen Klopp’s team advanced to the Champions League quarter-final.
A superb 61st minute strike from Lautaro Martinez, thumped viciously from 20 yards following some poor Liverpool defending and a Sanchez through ball, brought the Italians back to a 2-1 deficit on aggregate.
But within two minutes, former Arsenal and Manchester United striker Sanchez collected his second yellow card and instantly killed off his team’s hopes of pulling off an upset.
Inter, so competitive for large chunks of the first leg, had made a bright start, with Sanchez particularly bright and breezy. But it was not until the 41st minute that Alisson had a meaningful save to perform as he pushed away a treacherous free-kick from Hakan Calhanoglu which was whipped across a crowded area and might have crept in at the far post.
In truth, Liverpool’s game management had been so efficient that they were quite content even to give up half-opportunities, so comfortable were they, thanks to that two-goal first leg lead.
Indeed, they might have added to those San Siro goals with the two best chances of the first half falling to the Reds who should have killed off the tie completely before half-time arrived. And both were carved out by the boot of Alexander-Arnold within the space of a minute around the half-hour mark.
First came a beautiful free-kick delivery which found the head of Joel Matip - more accurately, struck it - with the defender’s effort cannoning off the Italians’ cross-bar.
And within seconds, the England full-back’s corner looked like being headed in at the near post by Virgil van Dijk only for Inter defender Milan Skriniar to do enough to put off the defender.
The last kick of the half also came from Alexander-Arnold, and threatened the Inter net, as his excellent 20-yard effort flew just off target.
It was a controlled effort from a Liverpool team unbeaten at Anfield since losing to Fulham last March and looking for a 16th consecutive game without defeat in the current campaign.
That form has pulled them to within six points of Manchester City, with a game in hand, in the Premier League table, already won them the Carabao Cup and advanced them to the FA Cup quarters where they will face Nottingham Forest.
But, obviously, the Champions League is the priority in cup competitions and the first half ended with the Reds having denied Inzaghi his aim of scoring at least once in that opening period to make the tie a true contest.
There was brief hope that goal might come in the opening seconds after the restart but Sanchez was clearly offside as he headed a free-kick straight at Alisson.
And it was not long before Liverpool reestablished their superiority with a deflected Alexander-Arnold effort forcing Samir Handanovic into a routine catch in the Inter goal.
When the Slovenian keeper was next called into action, Liverpool should really have scored and put the tie completely to bed as Thiago Alcantara’s deft touch was anticipated well by Handanovic who just managed to punch the ball away from Diogo Jota.
The rebound fell kindly to Mo Salah who had the goal at his mercy - albeit with defenders in his path - but could only striker the foot of the Inter post, with all of Anfield fully expecting the net to bulge.
The game was opening up - at both ends. At the opposite end of the field, Martinez had a rare sight of goal and should have done more than produce a shot which was deflected wide via a slight touch off Andy Robertson.
It was a hint of things to come when the Argentinian shot Inter ahead, although when Sanchez fouled Fabinho high on the ankle just two minutes later, adding to his first half yellow, he was dismissed and, rightly, sent off to his team’s huge disadvantage.
But the closest to a second goal on the night came from Liverpool. First, Salah, on 76 minutes, struck the post for the second time, sweeping a Sadio Mane cross against the left-hand upright and, in injury-time, Arturo Vidal’s amazing block denied Luis Diaz.
Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson 7; Alexander-Arnold 8, Matip 7, van Dijk 7, Robertson 6; Jones 6 (Keita 65, 6), Fabinho 6, Thiago 7 (Henderson 65, 7); Salah 6, Jota 5 (Diaz 83), Mane 5.
Substitutes (not used) Milner, Gomez, Adrian, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Minamino, Tsimikas, Origi, Kelleher, Elliott.
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Handanovic 7; Skriniar 7, de Vrij 6 (D’Ambrosio 45, 7), Bastoni 6; Dumfries 6 (Darmian 75, 6), Vidal 9, Brozovic 7 (Gagliardini 75, 5), Calhanoglu 6 (Vecino 83), Perisic 7; Martinez 7 (Correa 75, 5), Sanchez 6.
Substitutes (not used) Dzeko, Ranocchoa, Gosens, Cordaz, Dimarco, Caicedo, Radu.
Refere: A Lahoz (Spain) 8
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