Liverpool Overcomes Salah Dispute with Late Penalty Triumph Over Furious Inter
Liverpool recovered from a heated conflict involving Mohamed Salah by securing a 1-0 victory against Inter Milan on Tuesday, revitalising their Champions League efforts through a controversial late penalty that left the Italian side stunned and furious.
Dominik Szoboszlais penalty in the 88th minute delivered a vital win for the Reds at the San Siro, despite the absence of the Egyptian forward Salah, who remained in England following his public rebuke of coach Arne Slot over the weekend.
Supporters of Liverpool enthusiastically cheered Slots name at the conclusion of a mostly lacklustre encounter, settled by referee Felix Zwayers call to award the English title holders an ideal opportunity to claim the victory, which Szoboszlai confidently converted.
"The spot-kick appeared lenient, yet it would be awarded in any other area of the field," remarked Andy Robertson to Amazon Prime.
"Everyone required this boost. We recognise that our recent outcomes and displays fall short. Maintaining this clubs place in the Champions League matters greatly. This triumph means a lot to the entire squad."
Players from Inter were incensed by the penalties allocation for a minor jersey pull by Alessandro Bastoni on Florian Wirtz, though it provided Slot with a positive resolution to a challenging period.
Prior to that moment, the nearest either side got to finding the net was when Ibrahima Konates effort from close range was disallowed, following an extended VAR review, due to a handball by Hugo Ekitike in the 37th minute.
"We feel let down, frustrated, and a mix of emotions," stated Inter midfielder Piotr Zielinski to Sky Sport in Italy.
"Our display was solid, though we missed that extra edge in the attacking zone to convert chances, but the officials choices... If spot-kicks are given for such incidents, then every contact becomes a foul."
This Tuesdays success elevates Liverpool to 12 points across six outings, securing a spot in the top eight that guarantees progression to the knockout stage, pending Wednesdays remaining matches.
Inter sit in fifth place with an identical points haul, yet they have dropped their previous two continental contests and generated scant threats against a Liverpool team hampered by injuries, lacking not only the dissenting Salah but also the unavailable Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa, and Wataru Endo.
Challenging Circumstances
In the previous campaign, 16 points sufficed to bypass the playoffs, and Cristian Chivus squad cannot assume that luxury as they prepare to face Arsenal at home before heading to Borussia Dortmund in their concluding pair of league phase encounters.
A further loss in a major fixture raises the genuine risk of slipping beyond the top eight.
The journey to Milan for Liverpool was overshadowed by Salahs unprecedented attack on Slot, with the manager confessing on Monday his uncertainty regarding whether the contentious forward had featured in his final appearance for the Reds.
Salah ignited controversy by claiming he felt "thrown under the bus" by the organisation and that his rapport with Slot had ended, after being benched during Saturdays 3-3 stalemate against Leeds, marking the third consecutive game where he served merely as a substitute.
His comments prompted reports from Saudi Arabian outlets on Tuesday indicating interest in signing the 33-year-old during the January window, despite his contract extension in April.
"Its tough, yet its a shared tough scenario affecting us all," commented Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk.
"Regarding Mo and the club, matters are unfolding, and his absence today is the truth. I believe our concentration and resolve remain unaltered."
Heading into Tuesdays clash, Liverpool had managed only four successes in 15 fixtures across all tournaments, but Inter could not exert any initial dominance over their adversaries.
Inter waited until the 37th minute for their initial effort of any kind, whereas Liverpool, operating below their usual standard, produced promising efforts from Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch prior to Konates header being nullified.
This spurred both Inter and a surprisingly subdued audience of almost 74,000 into action, with Lautaro Martinez squandering the halves prime opportunity by directing Bastonis delivery straight at Alisson Becker.
However, the latter period proved utterly ineffective, and as time elapsed, it seemed a draw suited both sides until Szoboszlai blasted in his disputed match-winning penalty.