If Sunday at Burnley was an ugly win, this latest Liverpool triumph was bordering on the type only a mother could love.
Jurgen Klopp and his players, though, will not care one bit after they dug in for another hard-earned victory to take a significant step towards the Champions League quarter-finals.
As the Inter Milan faithful trudged disappointingly home, high in the San Siro stand a gaggle of around 2,000 Liverpool supporters were going through the Anfield songbook to celebrate yet another victory.
But with less than a quarter of the game to go, few of those who had made the journey to Italy could have envisaged the eventual outcome.
Liverpool, hampered by their inability to hold on to possession and severely tested by an Inter side set up impressively by boss Simone Inzaghi, were worryingly below par for sizeable swathes of an absorbing round of 16 first leg.
Ultimately, the transformation in their performance – and the win it brought – owed much to two factors: the excellence of Virgil van Dijk and the changes made by Klopp.
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The Reds boss was a strong advocate for the introduction of five substitutions in the Champions League – he would ideally want it replicated in the Premier League also – and here was able to capitalise on the options offered by a fully-fit squad.
The arrivals on the hour of skipper Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita brought calm to midfield while Luis Diaz offered the Inter defence a renewed threat after the home side had dominated after half-time.
However, it was Roberto Firmino, on at the break for the injured Diogo Jota, who produced the defining moment on 75 minutes, Liverpool again profiting from a set-piece as the Brazilian met Andy Robertson’s inswinging corner delivery from the right at the near post with a glancing header that sent the ball sailing out of the reach of Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic into the bottom far corner.
That Liverpool were in a position to snatch victory was tribute to an immense second-half showing from Van Dijk as around him Klopp’s side wobbled dangerously close to capitulation.
To think Inter were being told a few days ago by Paolo Di Canio that Van Dijk was past his best. Not so, Paolo.
The Dutchman even had a hand in Liverpool’s second on 83 minutes, heading down Trent Alexander-Arnold’s deep cross towards the penalty spot. Stefan De Vrij swiped and failed to clear, with Mohamed Salah reacting quickest to hit a first-time shot that deflected in off the unlucky Marcelo Brozovic.
That’s 24 this season for the Egyptian, 12 in his last 12 Champions League outings.
Van Dijk had been aided by Ibrahima Konate, recalled to the starting line-up in place of Joel Matip having impressed at the San Siro in the victory over AC Milan in December.
Konate remains very much a work in progress – at 22, that shouldn’t be a surprise – but his positioning and purpose helped Liverpool stem the Inter pressure.
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In truth, Alisson Becker didn’t have a save of note to make, although Inter did strike the woodwork early on. That this was a sixth clean sheet in the last eight games – and arguably the toughest yet – speaks volumes for the growing resolve of the Reds.
Of the four changes Klopp made from the weekend, arguably the most exciting was Harvey Elliott in midfield, the 18-year-old making not only his first start since suffering a fractured ankle in September but also his debut in European competition, becoming the youngest player to represent Liverpool in the Champions League.
Alas, the gamble didn’t pay off. Elliott, while not exactly overawed by the occasion, was knocked out of his stride too often and overly rushed in possession. He will learn from the experience.
Mind you, the youngster was far from the only guilty party in that regard, the Reds too often coughing up possession cheaply in midfield in the opening hour, either with wayward passes out from the back or hurried play in the centre of the field.
It was from gifting Inter possession that the hosts came closest to scoring on 16 minutes when the unmarked Hakan Calhanoglu was fed inside the area from the left and able to release a shot that crashed against the crossbar.
That prompted a shift in the balance of the game with Liverpool having began with the authority and confidence of a team that had racked up six successive victories.
Sadio Mane was twice close, first with a header over at the far post from Andy Robertson’s free-kick from the left and then wide with an ambitious overhead kick from a similar position.
But if Inter’s backline were unsettled by Liverpool’s high press, the visitors’ sloppiness gave the home side and the San Siro faithful a whiff of hope that turned into full-blown belief at the start of the second half.
Lautaro Martinez was close to getting on the end of a cross from the impressive Ivan Perisic, Edin Dzeko dallied when a lob over Alisson was the wise choice and Denzel Dumfries flashed a header wide from a corner.
Then, though, Liverpool underlined their strength in depth by landing the late one-two that sucked the life out of the vibrant home support and leaves the Reds strong favourites to complete the job at Anfield next month.
What could have been a damaging night instead became the latest impressive European away win for Klopp’s side.
Pretty? No. Pretty good? Most definitely.
