Liverpool are on the verge of a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals after earning a well-deserved 2-0 win at Inter Milan on Wednesday in their round of 16 first leg. The Reds dominated the chances for most of the match, but it looked like it would end in a 0-0 draw as the seconds ticked off. Substitute Roberto Firmino and superstar attacker Mohamed Salah had other ideas and both scored in the final quarter of an hour to give Liverpool the comfortable lead. The winning goal from Firmino came off a corner kick where the Brazilian headed home an unbelievable goal in the 75th minute:
The Reds can now even lose the next leg in March by a goal and still advance to the last eight. With no away goal rules, only a two-goal defeat would see extra time in the second leg.
Inter finished the match with zero shots on goal and rarely looked like a threat, aside from a crossbar hit from Hakan Calhanoglu in the first half. The Italians finished with an xG of just 0.46, while Liverpool recorded a 1.23. The centerback pairing of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate dominated the Italian side's attacking players, holding striker Edin Dzeko to nothing while only allowing Lautaro Martinez to touch the ball 16 times in 70 minutes.
"Intense. I think we both took a lot of risks in the pressing," Van Dijk, the man of the match, told CBS Sports after the match.
"It's about the hard fight, the battle. When you have the ball be brave, make the right decisions and keep it tight in the back, and we did that. [A] clean sheet is very important away in this atmosphere.
"We are just very happy with the result. It was tough, we suffered, but it is something we expected as well."
Here's a look at our player ratings for this contest:
| Name | Minutes | How did they do? | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
(GK) Samir Handanovic | 90 | Only faced two shot on goal, and he let them both in. But neither was really his fault as the defending let him down. A rough night. | 5 |
(DEF) Milan Skriniar | 90 | Inter's strongest defender. He had some good moments on both ends of the pitch, and he was successful on 75% of his tackles. Also won 92.3% of his duels and 100% in the air. Would have been uglier without him. | 8 |
(DEF) Stefan de Vrij | 87 | Cleared the ball well and was also strong in the air. Did what he needed to do for a large portion of the match. Can't ask for a whole lot more. | 6 |
(DEF) Alessandro Bastoni | 89 | Not his best night. In his biggest moment, he failed to deliver, letting Roberto Firmino score the winner with his head. His marking wasn't all that bad, but he lost him for a split second, and it was the difference. | 4 |
(MID) Denzel Dumfries | 87 | Created one chance, but it wasn't a very good one. Finished with an expected assist total of just 0.01. Had one OK shot, but he couldn't break free much from this Liverpool defense to cause damage. | 4 |
(MID) Arturo Vidal | 87 | The Chilean was solid defensively, recording a team-high seven tackles. He showed physicality and aggression and it put Liverpool off a couple of times. But with the ball he wasn't sharp, wasting chances to put in quality balls forward. | 6 |
(MID) Marcelo Brozovic | 90 | Passed well everywhere except in the final third. Nobody attempted more passes for Inter than his 57. Never got to create anything with long passes and was essentially neutralized. He'll be frustrated that his build up didn't result in much of anything. | 5 |
(MID) Hakan Calhanoglu | 90 | The most dangerous creator on this team. He set up three chances and was dangerous from set pieces, especially corners. Completed 91.3% of his passes and every pass in the final third. | 7 |
(MID) Ivan Perisic | 90 | Had some moments down the left and nearly set up a goal to Lautaro Martinez, but he put just too much behind the cross. Never looked like a threat on goal himself, but he had his chances to create by stretching the play wide. The passes weren't good enough to capitalize though. | 5 |
(FWD) Lautaro Martinez | 70 | He had 16 touches in 70 minutes, so that's all you need to know. One shot and an xG of 0.04, he now has 0.04 xG in his last 153 minutes after recording 0.0 against Napoli last weekend. A rough patch for the Argentine. Too often he was looking to draw a foul and not muscle through contact. | 4 |
(FWD) Edin Dzeko | 90 | Two shots but neither were good. He also completed just 52 percent of his 25 passes, which is shocking. He was just off. His most memorable pass went right to Trent Alexander-Arnold. | 3 |
| Substitutes | Replaced | How did they do? | Rating |
Alexis Sanchez | Martinez (70') | Nine touches in 20 minutes of play, while creating nothing. | 4 |
Roberto Gagliardini | Vidal (87') | Played three minutes and recorded a tackle, while also winning both of his duels. | 6 |
Matteo Darmian | Dumfries (87') | A late sub who never got involved. | N/A |
| Andrea Ranocchia | de Vrij (87') | Late substitute who recorded one interception. | N/A |
| Federico Dimarco | Bastoni (87') | Time-wasting sub with this one already over. | N/A |
| Manager | Subs used | How did the manager do? | Rating |
Simone Inzaghi | 5 | Waited too long to make the changes he needed to make. Then he made four of the, in the 87th minute. If you can't take them with you ... They looked to have done enough to get a point, but in the end they find themselves on the verge of elimination. They created nothing and have to get on the ball more than they did to have any chance. | 4 |
| Name | Minutes | How did they do? | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
(GK) Alisson | 90 | One slightly cavalier backpass brought pressure on the Liverpool final third but that was counterbalanced by some smart sweeping when Inter looked to slip Dzeko and Martinez in behind. | 5 |
(DEF) Trent Alexander-Arnold | 90 | His defensive chops were relentlessly analyzed by the dangerous Perisic. Certainly there were moments where you were reminded that Alexander-Arnold is not in this side for what he does without the ball but he was never consistently beaten. Going forward he was similarly a mixed bag, smart through balls balanced against moments where he wasted possession with unlikely long shots | 5 |
(DEF) Ibrahima Konate | 90 | Preferred to Joel Matip, Konate justified Klopp's faith with a series of crucial interventions, none more so than his diving clearance to keep a Dumfries cross from Dzeko. Solid in possession though he was it was with his back to the wall that the Frenchman excelled. | 7 |
(DEF) Virgil van Dijk | 90 | His performance was all the more outstanding as he barely seemed to break a sweat, covering the space to an admittedly slow Dzeko as if he were already 10 yards ahead. He was the overwhelming reason why the sizeable pressure Inter put on Liverpool rarely translated into threats on goal. | 9 |
(DEF) Andrew Robertson | 90 | Klopp appeared unimpressed with Robertson early on and with good cause. For once, the left back's passing radar looked all astray in open play and from dead balls. | 4 |
(MID) Fabinho | 60 | In the pitched battle across midfield, Fabinho never lost his head, and was invariably the man to pick up the scraps or to plug any gaps Interl were looking to burst into. By the time he was withdrawn on the hour no one could get near to his 11 ball recoveries. | 7 |
(MID) Thiago | 86 | His legs struggled to last the totality of this contest, the likes of Calhanoglu and Brozovic finding plenty of space away from Thiago as the game wore on. There were the customary fizzed passes to advance Liverpool up the pitch and one super interception late on to keep the ball from Dzeko | 6 |
(MID) Harvey Elliott | 60 | Liverpool's youngest player in a Champions League knockout tie, there were moments when the pressure seemed to get to the 18 year old, who ended the match with a relatively indifferent 75 percent pass completion rate. Equally there were moments of craft and composure that suggest more experience will make for a very effective player in these games. | 4 |
(MID) Mohamed Salah | 90 | Certainly this was not Salah's best game in a Liverpool shirt but that did nothing to shake the sense of inevitability whenever the ball was at his feet in the final third. He gave Bastoni all sorts of difficulties and took the one chance that came his way quite outstandingly. | 7 |
(FWD) Diogo Jota | 45 | Jota consistently dropped deep to collect the ball, looking to take on his man, beat them and slip in an onrushing wide forward. Early on he looked like he would find space to test Handanovic but as the half wore on he struggled to place his passes in the right spot, perhaps prompting Klopp to bring on Roberto Firmino in his place. | 5 |
(FWD) Sadio Mane | 59 | He ought to have at least tested Handanovic with an early header off a free kick. That aside Mane struggled to make anything like the impact on this game that came from the man who replaced him. | 4 |
| Substitutes | Replaced | How did they do? | Rating |
Roberto Firmino | Jota (46') | Early on, Firmino did not do much to suggest Klopp had been wrong to leave him on the bench, struggling to really impact the game. But then this anti-No.9, who does so little of what a traditional striker does, delivered the most magnificent of center forward headers to put his side in charge in this tie. | 7 |
Jordan Henderson | Elliott (60') | That the pressure on the Liverpool goal almost immediately eased when the club captain was introduced reflected just how reassuring a presence he is in the side. He scarcely gave the ball away in a blemishless half hour. | 6 |
Naby Keita | Fabinho (60') | A similarly solid addition, Keita was not quite as dynamic as he can be but then that is what Liverpool needed. He looked a steady veteran. | 6 |
| Luis Diaz | Mane (60') | Liverpool's attack sparked into life when Diaz entered the game. He was always darting into space, demanding passes and then looking to attack the goal. He looks utterly fearless and front-footed, a perfect Klopp forward | 6 |
| James Milner | Thiago (85') | His late cameo might only be notable because it was the 800th appearance of a remarkable career but that is certainly worthy of acknowledgement. | 5 |
| Manager | Subs used | How did the manager do? | Rating |
Jurgen Klopp | 5 | The right substitutions at the right moments led Liverpool to the ideal away result in the Champions League. He identified a problem in Liverpool's midfield and on their left flank around the hour mark; he fixed it | 7 |
Away goals might not be worth that bit extra this year but this was no less impressive or decisive for the tie without that little advantage. Liverpool rode the waves of Inter pressure and took their chances when their opponent wobbled. They are looking very close to the quarter finals.
Liverpool's No.7 is coming on and this is quite the landmark for him. 800 career games for Milner, who replaces Thiago for the final five minutes. What a career!
It's Salah! A loose ball in the box, and the Egyptian fires home with a deflection! 2-0 to the visitors, who are set to return to Anfield with a considerable advantage!!!
He does this a lot. A gorgeous flicked header by the Brazilian, almost a no look effort that flies into the far post. For a player who is absolutely not a traditional No.9, Firmino is very, very good in the air.
Firmino! Super sub off the bench! It's 1-0 thanks to the Brazilian! He runs to the corner of the six and heads home to the far post! It was an absolute beauty!
We're 70 minutes in without a shot on target and this has been a really absorbing game, one that waxes and wanes intriguingly. Liverpool just had a spell on top but that seems to have to an end with Dumfries flicking a header wide off a Calhanoglu corner.
Luis Diaz is played into the box by Alexander-Arnold, but a slight hesitation before his shot sees it blocked. What a good chance that was from about five yards out, but Inter covered it well.
But it isn't unbearable just yet. The hosts have all the territory and Perisic is getting a lot of good positions to deliver crosses. But none of this is really translating into good shots. Bastoni has blazed wide off a corner. Perisic's low shot was going wide before Konate stuck a boot on it. Replacing Elliott with Henderson, as Klopp has just done, might just ease the pressure with Fabinho also coming off for Keita.
Oh man, that was nearly it. Perisic gets the ball down the left and plays a fine ball across the goal that Lautaro Martinez could not get a head on. If that were Edin Dzeko ...
45 minutes remain in this first leg at the San Siro, and neither team have been able to take advantage. Liverpool have had the best chances, but this one is open and hangs in the balance as Roberto Firmino comes on and replaces Jota.
Liverpool are so good it's not often we get to see Van Dijk playing like this, a masterclass in defending as he cruises back to brush Dzeko off the ball just as he looks like running in behind to win a long ball. That has been his entire night so far, a reminder why he is the best center back in the world.
Another corner kick, and Skriniar gets his head on it but sends the ball a few yards wide of the back post. That was some opportunity, but he gets on it late. Poor defending there from the Reds, but they get away with it.
There has been something extremely amusing about watching Vidal, in for the suspended Barella, trying to subsume his inner hardman and keep things composed in the middle of the park. A heavy foul on Salah and you can tell he wants to go ballistic, to have a word with the referee, but he perhaps realises he has to play the long game here.
Off a corner, the ball falls to Mane just a few yards from the box, and he opts for the bicycle kick that goes wide! Both teams knocking on the door, but Liverpool with the better chances so far. Inter with a 0.08 xG so far, while Liverpool already at 0.51.
Right after Liverpool's best chance, Inter have theirs! Calhanoglu gets deep into the left side of the box and rockets a shot off the crossbar! It looked like it was going in even after it hit the frame of the goal!
A great set piece into the box falls to the head of Sadio Mane at the far post, but the AFCON winner hits it over the goal. What a chance that was! It looked like the equalizer, but things remain at 0-0.
A little thing but Inzaghi's side always seem to be in the ideal position to cut off passes when they press the ball. They don't have the intensity of a Bundesliga side (or even Liverpool) but there is a calculated, precise nature to how they look to win the ball back that is making it hard for their opponents to progress the ball.
It's Lautaro Martinez, and it is just wide! The ball falls to the Argentine atop the box, and the former Racing Club man takes a quick hit, trying to place it far post, but it goes about a yard wide. A really decent look there for the hosts.
The visitors are making good running early on and they're keen to test that left flank of Inter's, which looks a little lighter defensively with Perisic and Calhanoglu to shield Bastoni, who had been struggling with injury issues. Mane drifts across early on, his clipped cross nearly deflected into Jota's path, whilst soon after Salah holds Bastoni at arms' length before flicking one off into midfield. Look for that area to be a key spot for Liverpool.
The Reds are seeing the majority of the ball in the early instances, with Mane producing a dangerous cross to Jota, but Skriniar does well to get a flick on it to send it wide.
Here we go from the San Siro! It's Inter in their classic blue and black stripped kit, while Liverpool are using their classic red!
Four changes for Liverpool tonight, including a Champions League debut for Elliott, the youngest player to play in a European knockout game for the Reds. Speaking to BT Sport ahead of kick off, Klopp did all he could to cool the pressure on his young midfielder.
"It's a team we thought makes sense for tonight because of the way we have to play tonight. We have to play in the half spaces, we have to be good offensively," said Klopp. "That's what we try to to do, to share the intensity within the group.
"[Elliott] is in good shape, in a good moment football-wise and exactly the sort of player we need tonight. There's no pressure on him tonight... If it goes well it's all up to him. If it doesn't it's all my fault.
Here's someone who could change the game off the bench
When it was put to Klopp pre-match that Inter Milan would be worse off without Nicolo Barrela (suspended from the group stage) he did not disagree but he was at pains to point out that Arturo Vidal, a player for the big occasion, would be a more than adequate replacement for the Nerazzuri. The man himself thinks the same.
"I agree with Jurgen Klopp," Vidal told Amazon Prime Italia. "He is one of the best coaches in the world, he knows about football and how my career developed.
"It's true that I have played many Champions League games at the top level, now I am here with Inter and it's the most important game in the two years I have been here."
A year ago Harvey Elliott was lighting it up in the Championship on loan at Blackburn Rovers. Don't bet against him doing the same in the Champions League tonight, even in an injury-disrupted season the 18 year old has looked every inch a top tier performer in this Liverpool side, fulfilling a long held dream to prove himself among the best of the best.
In April of last year he spoke to CBS Sports about his targets for next season. Looking back now it's rather funny just how emphatically he has overachieved.
"I'm going to go into preseason thinking that I can get into this team," he said. "And whatever way my chance comes, it's just about making sure I take it. Obviously, nothing's going to come easy but [I want] to sort of make sure that I'm in and out.
"If I'm needed off the bench make sure that I'm the person they look to. It is just making sure that I'm one of the go to people to come on or to start and influence the game. That's my position and that's my role to score or create. I think if I'm doing that, and obviously working hard for the team as well, I think I've had a chance to be in and around it.
"I'm just going to do whatever it takes."
Inter's manager, ahead of the match, spoke about the poor string of results, including the second-half collapse against AC Milan. He doesn't seem worried at all, saying that they've played well but just didn't get the results they wanted.
"Against Milan and Napoli, we have got worse results than we deserved," he sad in his pre-match presser. "We have to think game by game. We've come off the back of an incredible run. We go forward step by step. The next one is Liverpool."
Inter have one win in their last four, but that followed a run of winning nine out of 10, with the only loss coming against Real Madrid.
Inter Milan XI: Handanovic; De Vrij, Skriniar, Bastoni; Dumfries, Vidal, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Perisic; Martinez, Dzeko
Subs: Cordaz, Radu, Gagliardini, Sanchez, Ranocchia, Dimarco, D'Ambrosio, Darmian, Sangalli, Carboni, Caicedo
Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Konta, Robertson; Fabinho, Thiago, Elliott; Salah, Jota, Mane
Subs: Kelleher, Milner, Keita, Firmino, Gomez, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Minamino, Tsimikas, Luis Diaz, Origi, Matip
Eight of our experts -- including yours truly and James Benge -- made our picks for this first-leg affair. Not one person picked Inter Milan to win, with six picking a draw. Both Benge and our Mke Goodman have Liverpool winning this first leg.
