Key Takeaways:
- Liverpool secured a 1:0 victory over Inter at San Siro with an 88th-minute penalty by Dominik Szoboszlai in the sixth round of the Champions League main phase
- VAR interventions were decisive, ruling out a Konaté goal and awarding a late penalty for a Bastoni foul on Wirtz
- Henrikh Mkhitaryan returned to Inter’s starting lineup, while Mohamed Salah was omitted from Liverpool’s squad following Saturday night’s interview
Match Analysis
Liverpool recorded their third consecutive away victory against Inter, prevailing 1:0 at San Siro in a highly tactical Champions League Group Stage encounter. The match was decided by Dominik Szoboszlai’s composed penalty in the 88th minute after a protracted VAR evaluation. This important win elevated the English champions to eighth place in the provisional group table, pulling them level on points with Inter.
Victory at San Siro 🙌🔴 pic.twitter.com/B3w4AgfcgZ
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 9, 2025
The Merseyside club, facing mounting scrutiny amid only one win in their previous six matches and following a high-profile interview by Mohamed Salah, responded emphatically despite Salah’s absence from the match squad. Notably, this result extends Liverpool’s unbeaten record in fixtures where Salah does not start to four matches, and it marks their fifth win from seven meetings with Inter.
VAR: The Defining Factor
VAR played a critical role on two key occasions. In the first half, Ibrahima Konaté found the net for Liverpool following a corner, but the goal was overturned after the technology judged an unintentional handball by Hugo Ekitike. In the closing moments, VAR once again intervened, prompting referee Felix Zwayer to assess a shirt-pull from Alessandro Bastoni on Florian Wirtz. The appeal resulted in a penalty, which Szoboszlai dispatched calmly to seal the win for Liverpool.
Earlier, Inter had a brief penalty shout when the ball struck Virgil van Dijk’s hand, but no infringement was deemed to have occurred as his arm was close to his body.
Team News and Lineup Adjustments
Arne Slot made several changes to his Liverpool eleven compared to the previous match against Leeds, introducing Andrew Robertson and Joe Gomez at full-back in place of Milos Kerkez and Conor Bradley. Alexis Mac Allister was preferred in midfield over Florian Wirtz, while Alexander Isak joined forces with Hugo Ekitike in attack. Injuries to Cody Gakpo and illness ruling out Federico Chiesa restricted further options.
For Inter, Henrikh Mkhitaryan returned to the line-up for the first time since October, Manuel Akanji overcame illness to start, and Luis Henrique retained his place after impressing versus Como. Coach Cristian Chivu was forced into two early substitutions due to injuries to Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Francesco Acerbi, bringing on Zieliński and Bisseck respectively.
Key Match Incidents and Statistics
| Minute | Incident | Team/Player | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Çalhanoğlu injury, substituted | Inter (Zieliński on) | Substitution |
| 32 | Konaté scores after corner, VAR review for handball | Liverpool | Goal disallowed |
| 40 | Barella free kick narrowly misses target | Inter | Chance |
| 45+ stoppage | Lautaro Martínez header saved by Alisson | Inter | Chance |
| 88 | Penalty awarded after Bastoni pulls Wirtz’s shirt (VAR) | Liverpool | Szoboszlai scores |
Flow of the Game
The contest began with a cautious approach from both sides, wary of early mistakes. Liverpool crafted the initial meaningful opportunities, with Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch testing Yann Sommer in goal. Inter grew into the encounter around the half-hour mark but struggled to create direct threats other than a dangerous Lautaro Martínez header in first-half stoppage time, expertly saved by Alisson.
The second half opened with renewed Liverpool energy, as Alexander Isak took advantage of a mispass but failed to capitalise. The visitors maintained possession and territorial edge but seldom carved clear chances until late in the half, when Conor Bradley forced a sharp save from Sommer. Inter’s attempts to counter were largely thwarted by resilient Liverpool defending and timely interventions from Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.
Conclusion
Liverpool successfully navigated a pivotal Champions League fixture, overcoming recent adversity and the controversy surrounding Salah’s omission from the matchday squad. With VAR at the heart of proceedings, Szoboszlai’s penalty secured all three points, while Inter were left to rue their missed chances and back-to-back defeats following an initial four-match winning start in the group. Both teams now sit level on points as the competition progresses.
