Szoboszlai penalty stuns San Siro! Liverpool beat Inter 1-0 in the Champions League to ease pressure on Arne Slot

A late Dominik Szoboszlai penalty condemned Inter Milan to a 1-0 defeat at the San Siro on Tuesday night, handing Liverpool a precious away victory in a tense, VAR-littered Champions League fixture. The strike, dispatched in the 88th minute after a lengthy review and a shirt-pull call against Alessandro Bastoni, broke a stubborn deadlock and ended Inter’s long unbeaten run at home in European competition.

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From the first whistle the match felt destined to be decided by fine margins. Both teams set up cautiously, Inter in a compact back three aiming to smother Liverpool’s central creativity, Liverpool resolute in a shape that favoured discipline and structure over expansive wing play, and chances were scarce for long stretches. The tactical stalemate was only sporadically punctured: Inter’s plan to rely on quick shots from distance and set-piece work, Liverpool’s approach to press in phases and then invite the spaces to counter.

Drama arrived late. Substitute Florian Wirtz, introduced to add spark to Liverpool’s wide play, was tugged inside the area by Bastoni as play unfolded down the right. After a lengthy VAR check to determine the nature of the contact, the referee was pointed to the spot and Szoboszlai stepped up and coolly converted. The strike was the decisive moment in a match that had been dominated more by tension and controversy than by goalmouth action.

The evening had earlier produced another flashpoint when what appeared to be a goal for Liverpool was chalked off. Ibrahima Konaté’s effort was ruled out after VAR intervened, with officials adjudging a handball in the build-up by Hugo Ekitike. That decision set the tone for a game in which video review played a starring, and divisive role, leaving both sets of supporters questioning marginal calls long after the final whistle.

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Liverpool’s victory was made more notable by the backdrop of off-field noise surrounding their squad selection. Mohamed Salah was conspicuous by his absence amid a public falling-out with manager Arne Slot that has dominated headlines in recent days. The team adjusted without him and still found a route to victory, a result that will be viewed as both a tactical success and a necessary morale boost given the surrounding controversy.

For Inter, the result will be galling for several reasons. The home side suffered early blows to their lineup with injuries to key figures, including Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Francesco Acerbi, that disrupted Cristian Chivu’s plans and limited Inter’s ability to threaten consistently. Despite a late push and sustained periods of possession in the second half, they could not fashion the clear-cut chance they needed to force extra drama. Instead, they were left to rue marginal decisions and the failure to take control of pivotal moments.

Liverpool’s defensive unit earned plaudits for keeping a clean sheet on a night when the margin for error was minimal; their organisation and concentration in the closing stages suffocated Inter’s attempts to fashion any openings.

Tactically, the game reiterated a modern Champions League truism: away discipline sometimes beats home ambition when the fine margins are invoked. Liverpool’s selection, a mix of rotated starters and strategic subs such as Wirtz and Conor Bradley, paid off at the right time. Inter’s 3–5–2 shape created moments of pressure but rarely translated possession into clear danger inside Liverpool’s box, and their substitutes failed to alter the scoreboard. Aside from a Lautaro Martinez header that was well-saved by Alisson Becker in the closing stages of the first half, Inter were kept at bay.

Off the pitch, the result has broader implications for both clubs’ European campaigns. Liverpool’s three points lift them into a stronger position in the group, keeping alive hopes of automatic progression and providing a buffer of confidence ahead of the final matchdays. Inter, meanwhile, must regroup quickly as the loss leaves them vulnerable in a tight section where goal difference and head-to-head margins could decide who advances.

In short, Tuesday’s match at the San Siro will be remembered as one of those nights where one incident defined an evening of defensive resolve, controversy and late drama. Dominik Szoboszlai’s cool penalty, and the VAR decision that led to it, handed Liverpool an away win that both calmed short-term anxieties and intensified the storylines around player selection and managerial decisions. For Inter, it is a bitter lesson in how tiny margins can undo the best-laid plans on Europe’s grandest nights.

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