Szoboszlai’s late penalty sends Salahless Liverpool past Inter Milan

Dominik Szoboszlai’s composed penalty in the 88th minute earned Liverpool a tight 1 0 victory over Inter Milan at the San Siro on Dec 9, a late intervention that masked a match defined by caution and a larger off field drama. Liverpool travelled to Milan without Mohamed Salah amid reports of a fallout with manager Arne Slot, and the result will be read not only as three valuable group stage points but also as a statement about the squad’s depth and composure under scrutiny.

The game was locked in a tactical duel for much of the night, with clear openings at a premium and both sides wary of risking late exposure. A pivotal moment came in the 37th minute when Ibrahima Konaté headed home from close range only to be denied after a lengthy VAR review for a handball by Hugo Ekitike, a decision that kept the score level and set the stage for the dramatic late conclusion. Inter, who had opened the campaign with four straight wins, frustrated Liverpool for long periods but were undone by a lapse of concentration in the closing minutes that allowed slot to call on Szoboszlai.

The victory lifted Liverpool to 12 points from six games and moved them into the top eight in the group standings, Reuters reported, a positioning that carries significant sporting and financial implications as the competition progresses toward knockout seeding. For Inter the defeat marked a second consecutive loss in the group and interrupted momentum they had built earlier in the campaign.

The subplot of Salah’s absence dominated the build up to the match. Coverage this week suggested the Egyptian forward was left at home following an extraordinary outburst and a falling out with Slot after Liverpool’s draw at Leeds, a saga that has gripped supporters and media alike. Slot declined to frame the result as simply a response to that controversy, but he publicly backed the Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté defensive pairing and expressed gratitude to supporters after fans were reported to be singing his name following the final whistle.

Inter defender Manuel Akanji captured the frustration of the hosts when he said, “It’s tough to lose this game, the positive side is if we play like this, we win most games.” The remark underlined how marginal the match was and how a single moment shifted the balance.

Beyond the immediate result, the contest illustrates two broader trends shaping elite European football. First, squads are being tested for resilience as star power and managerial authority collide, a dynamic that has commercial as well as sporting consequences when marquee names are sidelined. Second, the increasing role of VAR in deciding fine margins continues to influence how teams build and manage matches, with tactical caution often replacing expansive play.

Liverpool’s win will soothe some of the pressure around Slot and reassure commercial partners and broadcasters keen on stability, while also keeping the club on course for the lucrative later stages of Europe’s premier competition. For Inter, the challenge is to regroup and convert performances into results when the margins are this thin. On a night when one penalty settled everything, the contest served as a reminder that football’s biggest dramas now unfold as much off the pitch as on it.