Inter Milan vs Liverpool LIVE
VAR took centre stage at the San Siro as Dominik Szoboszlai buried a controversial late penalty to secure a 1-0 win for Liverpool over Inter Milan. Florian Wirtz won the spot-kick after going down far too easily following an innocuous shirt-pull from Alessandro Bastoni, but the penalty was awarded after a brief VAR check and Szoboszlai made no mistake.
Ibrahima Konate had seen a first-half goal ruled out equally controversially. The Frenchman headed home late in the first-half, but a replay showed that Virgil Van Dijk’s headed cross had deflected off of Hugo Ekitike’s arm. After a five-minute VAR check, the goal was disallowed. The stalemate remained through to full-time despite both sides enjoying various chances throughout the second period.
It was a well-earned point for the hosts, who lost both Francesco Acerbi and Hakan Calhanoglu to injury early in the fixture. Liverpool were, of course, without Mohamed Salah after his outburst last weekend. Perhaps they could have done with his attacking impetus at the San Siro. Catch up with the action as it happened below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis.
Inter Milan vs Liverpool latest news
- GOAL! Szoboszlai from the spot
- Konate opener ruled out
- Liverpool XI
- Inter Milan XI
FULL TIME: Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool
22:01 , Arthur FerridgeThat does it!
Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool
22:01 , Arthur Ferridge90+7mins: One last chance for Inter ends uneventfully as Henrique gives the ball away.
Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool
21:59 , Arthur Ferridge90+5mins: Some Inter fans are making their way to the exits. They’ve seen enough. Won’t miss an awful lot, in fairness.
Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool
21:57 , Arthur Ferridge90+3mins: Lautaro Martinez wins a corner with a deflected shot, but Alisson collects it well.
Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool
21:56 , Arthur Ferridge90+2mins: Mac Allister is struck down with cramp, and Inter plays and staff are less than impressed.
Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool
21:55 , Arthur Ferridge90+!mins: Six minutes are added. If nothing else, that goal has livened up Inter. They’ve made a great account of themselves so far it would be shame for them to come away empty handed.
GOAL! Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool | Szoboszlai '88
21:51 , Arthur FerridgeDominik Szoboszlai dispatches the penalty! Liverpool lead late on!
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:51 , Arthur FerridgeBastoni is booked. Farcical refereeing.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:50 , Arthur Ferridge86mins: Penalty given! Remarkable.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:50 , Arthur Ferridge86mins: The referee goes to the monitor...
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:49 , Arthur Ferridge86mins: Bastoni pulled Wirtz’s shirt and the German collapsed. That can’t possibly be given...
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:49 , Arthur Ferridge85mins: What’s this? VAR are checking for a penalty...
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:47 , Arthur Ferridge82mins: Szoboszlai has a free-kick some 30 yards from goal which he leaves short for Wirtz. The German’s shot is poor.
Inter make three changes. Carlos Augusto, Sucic, and Bonny replace Mkhitaryan, Thuram, and Dimarco.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:44 , Arthur Ferridge80mins: Thuram is bundled into touch right at Chivu’s feet. No whistle from the referee and Liverpool counter, but Sommer makes a smart save to deny Bradley’s close-range shot.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:42 , Arthur Ferridge79mins: A little ways up the road, Chelsea are now trailing Atalanta 2-1. Follow that live here!
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:42 , Arthur Ferridge78mins: Getting a bit scrappy now at the San Siro. One would hope that means mistakes and, subsequently, goals are in the pipeline.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:41 , Arthur Ferridge77mins: Wirtz puts just a little too much mustard on his through-ball for Ekitike, who is in acres of space. Sommer is quick off his line to deny the Frenchman the opportunity.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:38 , Arthur Ferridge73mins: A brief break now so Curtis Jones can recover from an awkward tackle, for which he was the perpetrator. He is booked, and we play on.
Hard to believe this match hasn’t had a goal yet.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:36 , Arthur Ferridge72mins: Inter come forward again but it is another dreadful cross from Dimarco.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:34 , Arthur Ferridge70mins: Szoboszlai’s free-kick is well dealt with.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:34 , Arthur Ferridge70mins: Smart tackle from Thuram has Mac Allister down in a heap, clutching his shoulder, but he is promptly back to his feet. Free kick to Liverpool.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:33 , Arthur Ferridge69mins: Two good efforts from Liverpool! Ekitike sees a close-range effort blocked before Gravenberch lashes the follow-up over the bar.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:32 , Arthur Ferridge68mins: Wirtz and Bradley replace Isak and Gomez. Will that mean a change of shape for Liverpool?
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:31 , Arthur Ferridge67mins: Wirtz and Bradley are being readied to come on.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:30 , Arthur Ferridge66mins: Inter win a corner but Dimarco’s delivery leaves a bit to be desired. Barella is first to Gravenberch’s headed clearance, but his long-range effort is off target.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:29 , Arthur Ferridge65mins: Zielinski nutmegs Mac Allister and sets Inter on a pacey attacking move, which ends as an off-balance Thuram shoots wide of the post.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:27 , Arthur Ferridge63mins: Ekitike shoots from range, but it is an easy stop for Sommer.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:26 , Arthur Ferridge62mins: Mkhitaryan misplaces a pass to Martinez, who makes little effort to hide his frustration. Neither do the crowd, who groan in deafening unison.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:25 , Arthur Ferridge61mins: Inter are really piling on the pressure now, but Liverpool are hanging on. To be fair to them, they look pretty comfortable in this, a very defensive setup.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:24 , Arthur Ferridge60mins: Barella finds Martinez with a cracking cross-field pass, but the Argentine’s shot is blocked brilliantly by Mac Allister. In the ensuing chaos, Inter win a corner which is headed away for a goal kick.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:23 , Arthur Ferridge59mins: Nervy moment as Bastoni flicks Robertson’s cross out of Mac Allister’s reach in the six-yard box. Good intervention from the Inter defender - that could have gone anywhere!
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:22 , Arthur Ferridge58mins: Mkhitaryan is booked for catching Szoboszlai late. His fairly innocuous tackle is arguably the most interesting moment of the half so far.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:21 , Arthur Ferridge56mins: To their credit, both sides have defended pretty well here. Neither team’s forwards have been able to make much of an impression, particularly since half-time.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:16 , Arthur Ferridge52mins: The second half has been end-to-end thus far, though neither side has looked particularly likely to score as of yet.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:15 , Arthur Ferridge50mins: Liverpool counter apace and Isak decides to pass when he could really have had a shot. That gives Inter time to track back, but the defensive reinforcements are not needed as Gomez’s cross goes behind for a goal kick.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:14 , Arthur Ferridge50mins: Wonderful ball from Martinez sets Mkhitaryan bearing down on ball, but his cross for Thuram is wayward.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:12 , Arthur Ferridge48mins: A little too much on Barella’s cross, and Lautaro can’t bring it down. Goal kick.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:11 , Arthur Ferridge47mins: Isak picks up a loose ball in attack and looks to bend one goalwards, but he doesn’t quite wrap his foot far enough around it. Forgettable miss. Play on.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:10 , Arthur Ferridge46mins: Liverpool start the half on the front foot, but their momentum is stemmed as Konate takes Lautaro off the ball with a two-handed push.
2ND HALF: Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
21:09 , Arthur FerridgeBack underway at the San Siro.
First half talking points
21:01 , Arthur FerridgeA couple notable moments from that first 45.
Top of the bill will, of course, be Konate’s controversial disallowed opener, which he nodded home after Van Dijk’s headed pass deflected off of Ekitike’s hand.
Was it intentional? Doubtful. Was it still a handball? Appears so. Was the VAR check far longer than it should have been? Absolutely.
It is a shame for Konate, though. That goal would have been a real boost for him after a tough campaign.
It is also important to know that Inter only have three substitutes remaining after injuries to Acerbi and Calhanoglu, who both came off with apparent hamstring tweaks.
Inter have three substitutions remaining, but must make them all at the same time, as Champions League rules dictate a team must make their five changes at three instances during a match. Inter have already used two of their three.
All to play for in the second half, then!
HALF TIME: Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:53 , Arthur FerridgeGoalless at the break!
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:52 , Arthur Ferridge45+6mins: GREAT SAVE! Martinez gets a powerful shot off from close range but Alisson gets down quickly and makes a wonderful save. That could have been the moment to break the deadlock!
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:51 , Arthur Ferridge45+5mins: Alan Shearer is very upset that Liverpool’s opener was ruled out, saying the handball was plainly not deliberate.
Be that as it may, I, the humble journalist, am of the opinion that any handball leading to a goal should lead to said goal being ruled out.
Will be interesting to see what Slot and Chivu have to say about it at full-time...
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:50 , Arthur Ferridge45+4mins: Zielinski levels a stinging shot at Alisson, who parries it into the ground.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:49 , Arthur Ferridge45+3mins: Around the grounds, both Spurs and Chelsea lead 1-0 at the break. Wouldn’t Liverpool love to follow suit?
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:46 , Arthur Ferridge45+1mins: No great surprise after that Konate VAR check, but seven minutes have been added on here.
Can either side find an opener before the break?
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:46 , Arthur Ferridge45mins: The corner and its follow-up come to nothing for Inter.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:45 , Arthur Ferridge44mins: Another Inter corner...
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:44 , Arthur Ferridge43mins: Lautaro lays one off for Zielinski, who rifles one high and wide. Not far away, mind. Inter have certainly improved over the course of this half, and you could argue they look the more likely to score before half-time here.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:43 , Arthur Ferridge42mins: Gravenberch makes a hash of clearing an Inter cross under pressure from Thuram, and concedes a corner. Alisson very nearly got there, but couldn’t quite keep it in.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:41 , Arthur Ferridge41mins: Plenty of first-half talking points, then. Let’s debrief those in a few minutes time.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:40 , Arthur Ferridge40mins: Barella fizzes the free-kick narrowly wide of the post - Alisson was very worried about that one.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:40 , Arthur Ferridge39mins: Ekitike is booked for a late tackle, which leaves Inter with a free-kick from about 25 yards.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:39 , Arthur FerridgeAll square, then. Inter attack and win a corner, but Isak clears it away,
GOAL DISALLOWED!
20:37 , Arthur FerridgeKonate’s opener is ruled out! It seems Van Dijk headed the ball onto Ekitike’s arm, after which Konate headed it home.
Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool
20:36 , Arthur FerridgeThe referee heads to the monitor... we know what this usually means.
Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool
20:35 , Arthur Ferridge35mins: The check continues...
Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool
20:35 , Arthur FerridgeVAR check underway... did Szoboszlai’s cross come off Ekitike’s arm?
GOAL! Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool
20:32 , Arthur FerridgeThings go from bad to worse for Inter as Konate nods home from Szoboszlai’s corner!
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:32 , Arthur Ferridge31mins: Acerbi hobbles off and is replaced by Bisseck.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:31 , Arthur Ferridge30mins: Looks like Acerbi will be coming off... he’s in tears!
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:30 , Arthur Ferridge29mins: More bad news for Inter... Acerbi seems to have picked up a hamstring injury now too!
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:30 , Arthur Ferridge28mins: Ekitike makes a wonderful run to the byline and Sommer bats his cross into touch. Corner to Liverpool. Chivu looks... unhappy.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:28 , Arthur Ferridge28mins: Van Dijk positioned himself well to shield Lautaro off the ball, and the Argentine went down pretty softly. Correct call from the referee, in my humble opinion.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:28 , Arthur Ferridge27mins: Lautaro goes down in the box as he looked to latch onto a smart one-two from Thuram, but his penalty appeal is waved away!
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:26 , Arthur Ferridge25mins: Just over 25% of the way through this match and Inter are yet to have a shot.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:25 , Arthur Ferridge23mins: Jones is blown up for a high hand on Thuram, who looks to have gone down quite easily.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:22 , Arthur Ferridge21mins: Van Dijk leads a tactical conference before the second corner, but it comes to nought as Szoboszlai’s delivery meets Mkhitaryan’s head before anyone else’s.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:21 , Arthur Ferridge21mins: Szoboszlai’s corner is headed behind for a second corner.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:19 , Arthur Ferridge18mins: Busy minute of play here as Gravenberch shoots from range and Sommer saves down to his right again.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:19 , Arthur Ferridge18mins: Jones dances through heavy traffic in the middle of the pitch and shoots low at goal, drawing a smart save from Sommer.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:18 , Arthur Ferridge18mins: I wonder what Mohamed Salah is up to right now.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:17 , Arthur Ferridge16mins: A really enthusiastic press from Liverpool, this. Barella gets on the ball and is forced back about 20 yards by Jones, but does well to win a throw-in.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:16 , Arthur Ferridge15mins: Robertson is back on his feet and we are back underway.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:14 , Arthur Ferridge14mins: Robertson, meanwhile, looks winded and requires treatment.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:14 , Arthur Ferridge13mins: Lautaro goes into the book for a late tackle on Robertson. He is quite late and nowhere near the ball.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:12 , Arthur Ferridge11mins: And off comes Calhanoglu! He looks absolutely gutted. Zielinski is on to replace.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:12 , Arthur Ferridge11mins: Bad news for Inter here. Calhanoglu is down stretching out his hamstring, and has signalled to the bench that he needs to come off.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:10 , Arthur Ferridge10mins: Gomez delivers a nice low cross at the front post but there is no red shirt there to properly attack it.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:09 , Arthur Ferridge8mins: Liverpool win a free-kick high on the right flank. Szoboszlai’s cross does not beat the first man.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:06 , Arthur Ferridge5mins: Home fans working their way through some choreographed chants, which are about as interesting as the first five minutes of this match have been.
That is to say, not very.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:05 , Arthur Ferridge4mins: Bit of a tentative start from Inter, who look to attack through Henrique in their first spell of possession but don’t make any notable progress. Liverpool content to wait for them to make the first move.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:04 , Arthur Ferridge2mins: Ekitike runs at Acerbi and is blindsided by the backtracking Barella. He is forced to pull back and recycle.
A moment later Isak plays a poor cross in from the far side and Inter clear.
Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:02 , Arthur Ferridge1mins: It does look to be a diamond of sorts for Liverpool. Looks on initial assessment to be Mac Allister in the No10, Jones on the left, Szoboszlai the right, and Gravenberch at the base.
KICK-OFF! Inter Milan 0-0 Liverpool
20:00 , Arthur FerridgeHere we go - we are UNDERWAY at the San Siro!
The players are out...
19:56 , Arthur FerridgeKick-off is just moments away!
Not long to go now...
19:50 , Arthur FerridgeTen minutes to kick-off! Here’s how the teams will line up...
Inter Milan XI: Sommer; Bastoni, Acerbi, Akanji; Dimarco, Mkhitaryan, Calhanoglu, Barella, Henrique; Lautaro, Thuram
Liverpool XI: Alisson; Gomez, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Jones, Szoboszlai, Ekitike; Isak
Isak and Ekitike
19:47 , Arthur FerridgeA quick reminder that Liverpool hit five last time Isak and Ekitike started together.
The pair only produced one goal between them, though, as Ekitike scored the Reds’ first of the night.
Isak was withdrawn at half-time with an injury.
Room for improvement, then. Let’s see how they get on here.
Chivu expecting no handouts
19:42 , Arthur FerridgeIn spite of Liverpool’s shaky recent form, Chivu knows they will be hard to beat.
He said pre-match: "They started well, they've had a few difficulties since, but they're a team that's built for this sort of game. We know what they bring on the pitch, individually and collectively.
"We want to be like them, but they are born that way. They have a history and culture, linked to what football represents in England, which is different to how it is in Italy. Not better or worse, just different, and it leads to a certain approach.
"Everything is easy when you say it, it looks easy on the whiteboard and on the screens too. The problem is turning those words into strength on the pitch. We all know about their intensity, the quality they have individually and collectively."
League phase standings
19:38 , Arthur FerridgeInter are currently sitting pretty in the Champions League, ranking fourth after five matches.
Liverpool trail by just three points, but are outside the automatic qualification places.
The Reds will be very keen to avoid having to play an extra round in this competition.
Last season for Inter Milan
19:35 , Arthur FerridgeInter had a remarkable Champions League campaign last season, but it ended in heartbreak.
Their semi-final second-leg win over Barcelona may well go down as one of the best games in the competition’s history. The limbs when Francesco Acerbi scored in the 94th minute to force extra time were some of the finest the San Siro had ever seen.
Until, that is, Davide Frattesi’s extra-time winner. What a goal that was.
The final, though, was a bit more forgettable. A 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain left them facing a thorough rebuild.
How will they fare this season?
Point to prove
19:20 , Arthur FerridgeThere will be an awful lot of eyes on Alexander Isak tonight.
Two goals in thirteen Liverpool appearances so far is a paltry return for a player of his touted calibre. Given his transfer fee, those two goals are presently worth over £60m each.
He would love to notch another tonight.
Arne Slot's pre-match interview: No wingers available
19:15 , Arthur FerridgeArne Slot described Mohamed Salah as ‘unavailable’ as he previewed tonight’s tie.
Explaining his side, which seems to feature a diamond midfield, he said: “The thinking is, at this moment in time, I have 13 outfield players with Premier League or Champions League experience available.
“Conor Bradley is back from injury. Two days after that game, it is too much of a risk to play him again. Florian Wirtz came back with an injury from the German national team and had to play three games in seven days.
“The thinking behind the lineup is there is not so many available.
“We do not have wingers available apart from Rio [Ngumoha], who is very young. It is logical to play with two nines.”
On Isak and Ekitike starting together, he added: “It is only the second time, they are very good players. It is not the first time we have played this system.
“We did something similar against Leeds. For them, it is after the Frankfurt game, but it is normal they need to find a connection.”
Curtis Jones previews the match
19:14 , Arthur FerridgeHow is Curtis Jones feeling about being in Milan?
“Positive. Positive as always,” he tells Amazon Prime. “Every game we aproach now, we want to win and do well, and that is what we'll do today.”
But is he nervous about Inter’s impressive home record (more on that later)?
“They're at home, they'll have the fans there. We are coming here to take that away and just play our game as well.
“We've got lads out there who can play, be brave on the ball. We're here to win.”
Isak x Ekitike
19:09 , Arthur FerridgeIsak and Ekitike on paper look like a wonderful strike partnership.
This is only the second time we’ve seen them start together, though.
Head to head
19:06 , Arthur FerridgeLiverpool have a surprisingly good record at the San Siro, and against Inter in general.
They have won four of the six meetings between the club, and only lost once in three matches in Milan.
They last met in the round of 16 in this very competition, back in 2021-22. Liverpool won 2-1 on aggregate thanks to goals from Roberto Firmino and... Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool team news
18:58 , Arthur FerridgeNot a massively controversial squad from Arne Slot here.
Wirtz was expected to start in the No10 today, but he has been dropped to the bench.
Isak and Ekitike starting together could be interesting - it is a combination we haven’t seen too much of since both signed for Liverpool.
Elsewhere, not too many surprises. That, in theory, is a very strong midfield - can it cope with Inter’s five-man counterpart?
INTER MILAN CONFIRMED TEAM NEWS
18:52 , Arthur FerridgeInter Milan XI: Sommer; Bastoni, Acerbi, Akanji; Dimarco, Mkhitaryan, Calhanoglu, Barella, Henrique; Lautaro, Thuram
LIVERPOOL CONFIRMED TEAM NEWS
18:47 , Arthur FerridgeLiverpool XI: Alisson; Gomez, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Jones, Szoboszlai, Ekitike; Isak
Subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Kerkez, Wirtz, Bradley, Nyoni, Ngumoha, Lucky
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