Liverpool have booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, despite losing 1-0 to Inter at Anfield on Tuesday night.
Lautaro Martinez scored the only goal of the game in the second half, but Liverpool’s 2-0 victory from the first leg was enough to see them through.
Inter started the game in frenetic fashion and were creating a flurry of chances, but they were unable to really test Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
There was a mini break halfway during the first half due to a medical emergency in the Kop end at Anfield, but shortly after this was dealt with, Liverpool had a great chance to score. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s fizzing free-kick was met by the head of Joel Matip, who saw his effort hit the underside of the crossbar and come back out.
In the last few minutes before the half-time break, Inter and Liverpool had a chance apiece from free-kicks. First, Hakan Calhanoglu tried his luck from an acute angle and forced a good save from Alisson, and with the last kick in the half Alexander-Arnold saw his shot almost nestle in the top left corner.
Mohamed Salah had a quiet first half by his standards, but seven minutes into the second half he hit the post. Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic didn’t deal with Thiago Alcantara’s pass towards Diogo Jota, which gave Salah the chance to send a shot towards goal, but it hit the post and went away from danger.
Lautaro Martinez’s goal
Then, in the 62nd minute, Lautaro was able to give Inter the lead. A couple of minutes after missing a good chance to open the scoring, the Inter forward cut across the ball from outside the box and sent his shot into the top right corner.
Inter’s joy was short-lived, though, as Alexis Sanchez received a second yellow card one minute after Lautaro’s goal for his follow-through on Fabinho.
Salah then hit the post again in the 76th minute, which would have put the tie beyond doubt, but Inter were ultimately unable to go on and grab a second goal that would have forced extra time.
👏 | GRAZIE RAGAZZI
😮 An epic performance and victory at Anfield but it's not enough as we bow out of the #UCL
🤏 So close to a comeback but what a rollercoaster it was ⚡️#LiverpoolInter 0⃣-1⃣
⚽️ 61 – #Lautaro#FORZAINTER ⚫️🔵 pic.twitter.com/wYS5ConKvm— Inter 🏆🇮🇹 (@Inter_en) March 8, 2022
Liverpool, despite losing, are now in the hat for the next round. Inter will have to switch their focus towards trying to retain the Scudetto.
