Inter 0-1 Liverpool: Szoboszlai's last-moment penalty ends Reds' winless run

Dominik Szoboszlai's 88th-minute penalty got Liverpool back to winning ways as they edged Inter 1-0 in the Champions League.

Match Report

Liverpool were without Mohamed Salah, following his explosive post-match interview after their 3-3 draw against Leeds United, but the Reds ground out a victory at San Siro.

Inter struggled at the start and were not helped by losing both Hakan Calhanoglu and Francesco Acerbi to injury, either side of Yann Sommer making a double save to keep out Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch.

Liverpool then thought they had taken the lead 32 minutes in when Ibrahima Konate headed home from close range. However, it was ruled out after a lengthy VAR check as Virgil van Dijk had nodded the ball onto Hugo Ekitike's arm in the build-up.

The hosts stepped up the pressure after that, with Nicolo Barella curling a free-kick narrowly wide before Piotr Zielinski and Lautaro Martinez both tested a stretching Alisson in stoppage time.

There was little to split the sides at the start of the second half, with Ekitike's long-range drive comfortably held by Sommer shortly after the hour.

Arne Slot's side had a slight edge, though, keeping Inter under pressure as substitute Conor Bradley forced Sommer into a sprawling near-post save.

But the decisive moment came late on as Alessandro Bastoni needlessly dragged Florian Wirtz's shirt, and Szoboszlai rifled his spot-kick into the left side of the net to send Liverpool eighth.

Data Debrief: Fortress San Siro breached

Inter were unbeaten in 18 Champions League matches at home before this, and looked set to hold out for a point. Instead, they suffered a second straight loss in the competition and lost ground on the top of the table by slipping down to fifth. 

For a long time it was evenly matched, but Liverpool finished with 1.47 expected goals (xG) from their 12 shots to Inter's 0.43 xG from nine, 0.79 of that came from the penalty.

The win was thanks to Szoboszlai taking his moment. He has been directly involved in more goals than any other Liverpool player this season (10 – five goals, five assists).

Szoboszlai also created a joint-team-high of two chances, played the most passes in the final third (18) and provided four crosses, more than any of his team-mates.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

11' Calhanoglu takes a knee as Piotr Zielinski replaces him

13' Lautaro flattens Robertson and picks up the first yellow card

17' Jones skips beyond Inter players before shooting but Sommer gets down to it

18' Highlight from Inter vs Liverpool

28' Ekitike goes past Francesco Acerbi before smashing it towards the near post

31' Looks like Acerbi has pinged his hammy after being sat down by Hugo Ekitike

36' Konate heads home but it's ruled out for a handball of Van Dijk

39' Nicolo Barella lines up the free-kick and it's bending towards the top bins

49' Highlight from Inter vs Liverpool

51' Lautaro powers his header towards the bottom corner but Alisson gets across

57' Mkhitaryan can only drag Szoboszlai down and pick up a booking

58' Robertson delivers towards Mac Allister but Bastoni gets a vital touch

64' Thuram looks for the far corner but Alisson watches it go wide

68' Conor Bradley and Florian Wirtz replace Joe Gomez and Alexander Isak

69' Ekitik steadies himself and hits it first time but Inter get a vital block in

80' Bradley only got Yann Sommer to beat but he fires straight at the Inter keeper

82' Florian Wirtz takes a touch and has a go but it trickles wide

88' Penalty Goal! Szoboszlai breaks the deadlock! Inter 0-1 Liverpool

Line-ups

Inter XI: Sommer, Mkhitaryan, Acerbi, Calhanoglu, Dimarco, Barella, Akanji, Thuram, Lautaro, Bastoni, Luis Henrique

Subs: De Vrij, Zielinski, Frattesi, Josep Martínez, Yann Bisseck, Carlos Augusto, Andy Diouf, Petar Sučić, Ange-Yoan Bonny, Pio Esposito, Matteo Cocchi, Alain Taho

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Van Dijk, Robertson, Joe Gomez, Konate, Isak, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Gravenberch, Hugo Ekitiké

Subs: Freddie Woodman, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Conor Bradley, Milos Kerkez, Wirtz, Wellity Lucky, Trey Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha