Szoboszlai’s Late Penalty Lifts Liverpool to Crucial Champions League Win Amid Salah Fallout
Dominik Szoboszlai struck an 88th-minute penalty to hand Liverpool a vital Champions League victory over Inter Milan.
The build-up to the match had been overshadowed by Mohamed Salah’s absence after the forward claimed the club had “thrown him under the bus” and that his relationship with manager Arne Slot had broken down. With Salah left at home, Szoboszlai stepped up when it mattered most, converting from the spot after a VAR review ruled that Alessandro Bastoni had pulled Florian Wirtz’s shirt in the box.
Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer guessed correctly but couldn’t keep out the powerful strike, sealing three crucial points for Liverpool after a turbulent week. Slot’s side, who had lost nine of their previous 12 games, are now unbeaten in four and climb into the top eight of the league phase, securing an automatic place in the last 16.
Inter, meanwhile, drop to fifth as they suffer their first home defeat in the competition in 19 matches—stretching back to September 2022.
Liverpool had earlier seen Ibrahima Konaté’s header ruled out for handball after a lengthy VAR check involving Hugo Ekitike. Sommer was kept busy throughout the first half, denying Curtis Jones, Szoboszlai, and Ekitike, while Inter threatened through Nicolò Barella and Lautaro Martínez.
With the game drifting towards a goalless draw, substitute Wirtz forced the decisive moment, drawing Bastoni’s foul to set up Szoboszlai’s winner—his second goal in as many games. It marked Liverpool’s fourth consecutive victory at the San Siro.
Away from the Salah drama, Slot experimented with a midfield diamond and paired Alexander Isak with Ekitike for only the second time this season. Isak struggled physically and was forced off at half-time, while Ekitike remained the livelier option. With Salah’s future unclear and Cody Gakpo sidelined for several weeks, the need to build attacking cohesion is growing.
Still, Liverpool showed spirit and unity when it mattered, with 4,400 travelling fans celebrating high in the San Siro stands.
What’s next?
- Liverpool: Host Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday before travelling to Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday, 21 January.
- Inter Milan: Welcome Arsenal in their next European fixture on Tuesday, 20 January.