Liverpool lost to Inter Milan 1-0 in their Champions League round of 16 second leg on Tuesday at Anfield, but that was still enough to see the Reds advance to the quarterfinals, 2-1 on aggregate. A 2-0 win at Inter in the first leg was enough of a cushion to protect them after this defeat at home, and the Reds will feel confident with the result but unlucky that it was a loss. Jurgen Klopp's team, which had not previously lost at home this season in any competition, hit the crossbar once and the post twice, dominating in the late stages with a one-man advantage.
Lautaro Martinez scored just after the hour mark for Inter, giving his team a boost after a rather quiet hour, but a red card moments later to Alexis Sanchez did the visitors in, allowing Liverpool to dominate the rest of the way and control the tempo of the match.
Liverpool finished with 12 shots and an xG of 1.65 yet somehow didn't find the back of the net, while Inter had six shots and an xG of 0.30.
As a result, the Reds clinch a spot in the Champions League last eight alongside Bayern Munich, who crushed RB Salzburg 7-1 in Tuesday's other match. You can watch Liverpool, Bayern Munich and the rest of the teams in Champions League action all season long on Paramount+.
Liverpool ratings
| Name | Minutes | How did they do? | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
(GK) Alisson Becker | 90 | After an extremely quiet first 40 minutes he saved smartly from Hakan Calhanoglu but could do nothing about Lautaro Martinez's stunning goal. | 6 |
(DEF) Trent Alexander-Arnold | 90 | His dead-ball delivery was customarily excellent, putting one right on Joel Matip's head half an hour in before picking out Virgil van Dijk with his next touch of the ball. There is something wonderful about the way the ball cracks off his feet when he delivers these magnificent passes. | 8 |
(DEF) Joel Matip | 90 | So often it was Matip on hand to block any ambitious Inter shots whilst his more assertive defending helped quell Alexis Sanchez after the Chilean's bright start. He was, however, somewhat at fault for a loose clearance and slow reaction as Inter scored the game's lone goal. | 6 |
(DEF) Virgil van Dijk | 90 | He deserves a 10/10 for aura, his mere presence forcing Lautaro to backtrack into midfield much as he had done in the first leg. Nothing was getting past Van Dijk tonight though maybe that fear of going near him prompted the Inter striker to unleash his wonder strike. | 8 |
(DEF) Andrew Robertson | 90 | A crucial early header at the back post denied Lautaro Martinez what looked to be a tempting volley, setting the tone for a game of crucial late interventions. He might have made life easier if he picked out any of four possible targets with his late cross. | 6 |
(MID) Fabinho | 90 | Fabinho was extremely effective at just gumming up Inter's attacks, slowing down any progress through the middle with his positioning. | 7 |
(MID) Curtis Jones | 64 | A shrewd display from the youngster, who would drop into more defensive positions that allowed Alexander-Arnold to bomb on. In possession his surprisingly swift running up the pitch forced Inter to commit fouls in dangerous spots. | 7 |
(MID) Thiago | 64 | For much of this game Thiago's performance was pockmarked with interceptions, probing passing and welcome solidity. Then came the dreamy pass to set up Jota for one of the best chances of the game. Customary excellence from the Spaniard. | 8 |
(FWD) Mohamed Salah | 90 | A remarkable game for Liverpool's star forward in that the two cast-iron, surely-he-scores chances that came his way ended with the ball clattering back off both posts. There were still flashes when Salah bullied Alessandro Bastoni with nifty footwork. | 6 |
(FWD) Diogo Jota | 82 | He seemed a little rusty after his spell on the sidelines and handed Inter a rare chance when he committed a clumsy foul late in the first half. He was, however, particularly impressive in his pressing work. | 6 |
(FWD) Sadio Mane | 90 | Mane was somewhat loose in possession tonight, attempting more penetrative passes but often the most crucial passes he attempted saw possession ceded back to Inter. This was not the best of the Senegal forward though a brilliant late pass for Salah was a reminder of how good the best of him can be. | 6 |
| Substitutes | Replaced | How did they do? | Rating |
(SUB 1) Naby Keita | Jones, 65' | Offered a strong blend of ball carrying and defensive work after his introduction, helping to restore Liverpool's control of midfield. | 6 |
(SUB 2) Jordan Henderson | Thiago, 65' | From the moment the club captain entered the fray you could see him adjusting the positioning of his troops, keeping things solid and refusing to advance too far from what was a shielding role alongside Fabinho. | 7 |
(SUB 3) Luis Diaz | Jota, 83' | A welcome spark plug off the bench, he ensured Liverpool's attacking threat did not die down as they looked to hold on to their aggregate lead. He might have earned them a draw on the night but for brilliant defending by Arturo Vidal. | 6 |
| Manager | Subs used | How did the manager do? | Rating |
| Jurgen Klopp | 3 | A supremely composed performance by his players reflects well on the manager, as does the immediate impact his midfield changes had on the game. | 8 |
Inter ratings
| Name | Minutes | How did they do? | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
(GK) Samir Handanovic | 90 | Didn't concede, but he was lucky not to. Did his job good enough but was saved by the frame of goal three times. | 6 |
(DEF) Alessandro Bastoni | 90 | Struggled with Liverpool's speed and was overpowered often. Just felt like a tier below what was needed to be truly competitive. | 4 |
(DEF) Stefan de Vrij | 45 | Lasted just a half, picking up a calf strain that saw him taken off at the break. Up until that point, he did nearly everything he needed to. | 7 |
(DEF) Milan Skriniar | 90 | The hustle was there to deal with crosses, though the execution always wasn't. Was consistent and mostly did well to keep the attackers in front of him. | 6 |
(MID) Ivan Perisic | 90 | Lively down the left with consistent, dangerous crosses into the box in the early going, but then he faded as the game went on. | 4 |
(MID) Hakan Calhanoglu | 83 | Decent at best. He had one free kick swung in that was dangerous, and that was all he did in attack. Didn't deserve to last 83 minutes. | 4 |
(MID) Marcelo Brozovic | 75 | An awful night. Just was a step slow, looked off in his passing and never felt like an impactful play was coming. | 3 |
(MID) Arturo Vidal | 90 | Nothing great in attack but was stellar when defending. Made numerous clutch tackles including the late one on what was a sure goal from Luis Diaz. Brought the energy. | 8 |
(MID) Denzel Dumfries | 63 | Hardly remembering him playing if I'm being honest. Touched the ball just 29 times and didn't create a single chance. | 4 |
(FWD) Alexis Sanchez | 63 | The good thing was he got an assist. The bad thing was he ruined his team's chances later by getting a red card. Deserved a red in the first half but didn't get it, yet it came in the second. It felt harsh, but he had no business being on the pitch then. | 4 |
(FWD) Lautaro Martinez | 75 | ⚽ Did what he needed to do in getting his goal, but he really had a great chance to score two and be the hero. Still, you can't ask for much more as it was those around him who didn't step up. | 7 |
| Substitutes | Replaced | How did they do? | Rating |
Danilo D'Ambrosio | de Vrij (46') | Solid display in defense in the second half, cutting off passes and clearing out chances. | 6 |
| Roberto Gagliardini | Brozovic (75') | Offered some crisp passing off the bench but nothing that would be considered dangerous. | 5 |
| Matteo Darmian | Dumfries (75') | Fifteen minutes of time where he got forward a bit but nothing came of t. | 5 |
| Joaquin Correa | Martinez (75') | Touched the ball four times in 15 minutes. It was all Liverpool then. | N/A |
Matias Vecino | Calhanoglu (83') | Late sub that touched the ball four times. | N/A |
| Manager | Subs used | How did the manager do? | |
| Simone Inzaghi | 5 | Slightly confused with his approach during the last half an hour. I understand they were down to 10 men, but defending with five or six in the box? Who cares if Liverpool score when you are the one who needs the goal. Risk it, push guys high up the field, hope Liverpool fail to score and go on the counter. Not once did a decent chance come late on. | 5 |