A stoppage-time spot-kick converted by Dominik Szoboszlai against Inter Milan was enough to put Liverpool in the top eight of the UEFA Champions League table after the first round of matchweek six games.
Much of the pre-match narrative centred on Mohamed Salah’s omission from the lineup, a decision that followed his remarks after the 3-3 draw with Leeds United in the Premier League the previous weekend.
Since the Egyptian signed for Liverpool, this fixture marked only the third UEFA Champions League outing in which the Reds have taken the field without him featuring (the earlier occasions coming against Barcelona in May 2019 and PSV in January 2025). It also represented their first away victory in the competition without Salah playing any part since the trip to Debreceni VSC in November 2009.
However, with Cody Gakpo sidelined and Federico Chiesa unwell, Slot had only two established attackers available, prompting him to deploy Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak from the outset.
With only five minutes remaining, a largely subdued contest hinged on a decisive moment from the spot. Florian Wirtz was tugged inside the area by Alessandro Bastoni, prompting the referee to be advised to review the incident again on his pitch-side screen.
The decision went in Liverpool’s favour, and Szoboszlai assumed the duty, drilling his 88th-minute penalty beyond Yann Sommer to secure all three points for the visitors.
Gravenberch was impressive
After delivering this late strike, Szoboszlai now stands as the Liverpool player with the highest direct goal contributions this season (10 — five goals and five assists), while this also marks only the second occasion he has found the net in back-to-back games for the club (the previous instance coming in February).
Another key figure in the middle of the park was Gravenberch, who was at the heart of all the actions, orchestrating plays with 57 passes and disrupting Inter’s rhythm with timely interceptions.
It was an end-to-end performance from the Dutchman, who made seven entries into the final third, took two shots and completed two take-ons, while also being solid in his own half, winning possession six times, making five interceptions and conceding one foul.
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza could just be one of the 23-year-old’s favourite grounds, as he tends to put up outstanding displays at the ground. His five interceptions against Inter were just the second time he achieved that feat, with the previous one coming at the same venue in 2024 against AC Milan.
