Champions League news: Five key talking points as struggling Liverpool edge Inter Milan at San Siro

Dominik Szoboszlai’s 88th-minute penalty edged Liverpool past Inter Milan at the San Siro in a vital Champions League win.

Arne Slot’s struggling Reds now sit in the top eight, significantly boosting their chances of avoiding a play-off match.

Here, Sports News Blitz writer Ruben Ashworth takes a look at five key talking points from the clash.

4-4-2 formation works

With limited attacking options, Slot opted for a diamond midfield, and the results were emphatic.

Liverpool displayed unity and resilience in a game many expected them to lose.

They were compact, hard to break down, and controlled play in key areas, minimising opposition attacks.

The extra midfielder on the pitch also helped tighten the defensive vulnerabilities that have troubled Liverpool this season, creating a growing sense of calm.

While the diamond formation may not offer the most exciting or dynamic football, it has provided a solid foundation for Slot to build upon while reestablishing some much-needed stability.

Isak–Ekitike partnership

Despite their individual talent, the partnership of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike remains disjointed.

Their tendencies often clash as they look like two separate forwards rather than one threatening frontline.

Runs are rarely coordinated, leading to broken attacks and a lack of fluid combinations in the final third.

They moreover often drift into similar zones and fail to make runs which would suit the other.

The potential is there but there needs to be clearer roles – for example, one must stretch defences while the other finds gaps between the lines.

Until that balance is found, the partnership will continue to disappoint.

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Good Liverpool substitutions

Whilst the Premier League has been difficult for Florian Wirtz, the Champions League has allowed the German to excel.

Coming on in the 68th minute alongside right-back Conor Bradley, Wirtz looked sharp.

He successfully bridged the gap between midfield and attack, finding pockets of space and bringing a forward-thinking mentality that was significant to Liverpool leaving with all three points.

Bradley, meanwhile, continues to solidify his place in the starting XI.

In a new formation that lacked width, he effectively covered the right flank, providing both an attacking threat and defensive solidity.

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VAR confusion again

It was, sadly, another night of VAR confusion.

Ibrahima Konate had his first-half header ruled out due to Virgil van Dijk accidentally heading the ball onto Ekitike’s arm from a matter of centimetres away.

Mark Clattenburg, commentating on the decision, suggested several reasons why it shouldn’t but ruled out, yet VAR saw it differently after a lengthy check.

The decision was decidedly soft, but it was not even the softest one made that evening.

A late penalty decision was the call which truly caught everybody watching off guard.

Alessandro Bastoni tugged on Wirtz’s shirt, who dropped to the ground without hesitation, and that was that – a harsh call that left Inter players and fans disheartened.

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Uninspiring Inter Milan

For a team which were Champions League finalists last season and hadn’t lost at home in 19 games, dating back to September 2022, Inter looked weak and lacked precision.

They offered little in attack and their build-up play often broke down due to their own mistakes.

Key players struggled to impose themselves and the home fans had very little to cheer about.

However, while the performance was disappointing, this result isn’t too detrimental to their campaign in the long run.

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