Szoboszlai delivers from the spot late on as Liverpool edge past Inter amid Salah drama
Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates scoring from the penalty spot. Pic: Fabrizio Carabelli/PA Wire.
IT'S unclear whether it was the same one that Mo Salah claimed to have been thrown under, but Liverpool's much-maligned defence skilfully parked the bus to help bring an end to Inter's proud San Siro record.
Dominik Szoboszlai slotted home an 88th-minute penalty after a second crucial intervention on the night from VAR following a minimal tug on Florian Wirtz's shirt by Alessandro Bastoni.
The decision was harsh in the extreme.
Victory provided a welcome denouement to 72 hours of unwanted off-the-field drama as a sixth clean sheet of the season steadied an Anfield ship navigating choppy waters in the wake of the Egyptian's self-centred tossing of his toys from the pram in the Elland Road mixed zone.
The margin of victory might have been even more handsome for Arne Slot's side had the video assistant not intervened earlier to deny Ibrahima Konate from scoring here for a second season running.
In the end, it didn't matter as Liverpool ended Inter's three-year unbeaten Champions League home record.
A sterling rearguard action from the Premier League Champions ensured the Italians rarely posed much threat to Alisson Becker's goal to help Liverpool towards qualification for the next stage, although it could still probably require victories in their final two matches to secure a top-eight finish.
After the unedifying soap opera of the previous three days, a return to matters on the pitch at this ever-imposing Milanese footballing theatre was something of a welcome relief for Slot, whose side won for only a second time in the last seven games.
The Liverpool head coach made a quartet of changes from the team that frittered away two points in Saturday's rollercoaster 3-3 draw at Leeds as his side looked to halt the fine form of their hosts, who had won 14 of their 17 previous games in all competitions.
Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu limped off early with a groin problem and Andy Robertson was in danger of swiftly following the Turkey international when the Liverpool full-back was left in a heap by a reckless sliding challenge from Lautaro Martinez which saw the Argentinian forward rightly cautioned.
It took the best part of 20 minutes for either side to muster a goal threat, and Inter keeper Yann Sommer had to be alert to beat out shorts from Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch in the space of 60 seconds as the contest began to open up after a cautious start.
Hugo Ekitike forced a hurried save from Sommer at the Swiss keeper's near post when a stood-up cross to Alexander Isak loitering in the six-yard box might have been a better option on what turned into another night to forget for the anonymous Swede before he was taken off in the second half.
Ekitike was again involved as the visitors thought they had taken the lead before half-time, only for Konate's effort to be ruled out following a seemingly interminable VAR check stretching for almost five minutes.
The Liverpool defender gleefully headed a Szoboszlai corner home from close range but after being invited to review his decision, German referee Felix Zwayer was persuaded by far from conclusive replay evidence that Virgil van Dijk's headed the ball against Ekitike's arm before it reached Konate.
It was a major let-off for the hosts and Nicolo Barella almost rubbed salt in Liverpool's wounds when the midfielder's curling 25-yard free-kick flew inches wide with Alisson struggling to make his ground.
The Brazilian was rather more involved in first-half stoppage time, diving to his left to keep out a powerful downward header from Martinez after the Inter forward beat van Dijk to a cross from the left.
Liverpool continued to provide the greater attacking threat after the break, and Bastoni came perilously close to slicing Robertson's driven cross into his own net.
Ekitike had a snapshot well blocked following good work from substitute Conor Bradley as Slot's side looked the more likely to break the deadlock.
That came to fruition with an unerring swing of Szoboszlai's boot two minutes from time in a welcome diversion from the Salah-based circus, which is set to swing into action again to fill the three-day void before Saturday's visit by Brighton.
Sommer 7; Akanji 7, Acerbi 5 (Bisseck 31, 7), Bastoni 7; Henrique 6, Barella 6, Calhanoglu 5 (Zielinski 11, 6), Mkhitaryan 6 (Sucic 83, 6), Dimarco 6 (Augusto 83, 6); Thuram (Bonny 83, 6), Martinez 6. Martinez, Bastoni.
Alisson 7; Gomez 7 (Bradley 68, 7), Konate 7, van Dijk 7, Robertson 7; Gravenberch 7; Szoboszlai 8, Jones 7; McAllister 7; Isak 3 (Wirtz 68, 7), Ekitike 7. Ekitike.
Felix Zwayer
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