March 09, (THEWILL) – Despite losing 1-0 at home to Inter on Tuesday, Liverpool qualified for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, thanks to their first-leg advantage which saw them progress 2-1 on aggregate.
Lautaro Martinez scored a game-winning goal with a screamer that was worthy of a final. However, the tie was decided by a red card given to Alexis Sanchez just as Inter was about to score their second goal.
In the first half, the Reds had the better of the few chances that either team had. Virgil van Dijk was only denied in a similar scenario by a diving block from Milan Skriniar moments before Joel Matip fired a thunderous header against the crossbar.
Alisson, on the other hand, made the first significant save of the night, parrying a low Hakan Calhanoglu shot to safety despite it deviously bouncing just before it reached him.
Midway through the first half, the game was abruptly halted as stewards and medical personnel attended to a medical emergency in the stands.
Soon after the restart, a deflected Trent Alexander-Arnold shot threatened to wrong foot Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, but he was able to quickly adjust his feet and prevent the embarrassment.
When Mohamed Salah pounced on a rebound from Handanovic and the ball struck the post and bounced clear, it appeared that an early goal for Liverpool was just a matter of time.
Inter, on the other hand, moved forward. Martinez had been kept entirely quiet by Van Dijk for an hour, but when the Nerazzurri got the ball back and the Liverpool press did not show up, the Argentine easily hammered the ball into the top corner from distance.
That should have signalled the start of the game and Inter’s chance to win the match on aggregate. However, Sanchez was issued his marching orders only seconds later after receiving a reckless second yellow card, thereby ending the momentum that had just been built.
Salah then struck the crossbar, while substitute Luis Diaz was denied late on by a fantastic last-ditch save from Arturo Vidal, who seemed to be everywhere all night.
Inter could not join Bayern Munich as the second team to advance in this competition after coming back from a two-goal deficit at home in the first leg, despite their efforts, as the hosts held on to a one-goal aggregate lead to reach the final eight.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
