San Siro Still Friendly for Liverpool

MILAN, WEDNESDAY — The universe favored Liverpool more than Inter Milan in the Champions League match on Wednesday (10/12/2025) WIB, at the San Siro Stadium, Italy. The "Reds" squad competed to prove that they possess the spirit to emerge from the current difficult period. Additionally, they were blessed with luck to bring home three points thanks to a 1-0 victory.

Aware that they were facing one of the toughest matches of the season, Liverpool's collective performance was impressive at San Siro. Manager Arne Slot deployed a 4-4-2 formation, deviating from his preferred setup. The injury to Cody Gakpo and the suspension of Mohamed Salah prompted Slot to seek alternative tactics.

Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai occupy positions on both wings to support the striking duo, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak. Specifically for Jones, the match at San Siro marks his fourth appearance as a starter in the Champions League this season.

The number of matches as a main player is equivalent to what he achieved from 13 appearances in the English League. Against Inter, Jones was finally positioned as an attacking midfielder. In the three previous games in Europe, Slot placed him as a right wing-back and a defensive midfielder.

Jones recorded the highest percentage of accurate passes at San Siro with 96 percent. In fact, his record of 67 accurate passes remains unmatched by either team.

In addition, Szoboszlai has once again made sacrifices by being willing to play on the wing. This role differs from his primary duty as a central midfielder, where he occupies the number 10 or 8 position.

The captain of the Hungarian national team capped off his performance with a penalty execution that resulted in the winning goal for "The Reds." Szoboszlai defeated Inter's goalkeeper, Yann Sommer, in the 88th minute.

Three points from San Siro brought Liverpool into the top eight zone with a total of 12 points. They matched the points tally of Inter, who remain in fifth place. The two teams are separated only by goal difference aggressiveness.

Specifically, Slot praised Szoboszlai's performance, which has demonstrated his suitability to play in the Liverpool jersey. Not only did he play brilliantly, but Slot was also pleased with Szoboszlai for being willing to follow his instructions.

"I have asked a lot from him. I think what is particularly special is how much he runs. He is one of the few players who has played in four of our games in 10 days," said Slot after the match, as reported on the club's website.

"What is remarkable about what he has done physically and from a football perspective is that he showed up in a difficult moment. That was his first penalty for Liverpool, and he executed it well," he added.

Liverpool's victory at San Siro reaffirms their dominance at Inter's home ground. This means that the Reds have won and kept a clean sheet in three consecutive matches in Milan.

Previously, Liverpool defeated Inter 2-0 in the round of 16 of the 2021-2022 edition. The Reds also triumphed 0-1 in the round of 16 of the 2007-2008 season. Liverpool managed to break Inter's unbeaten record of 18 home games in the Champions League.

Although the three points from San Siro seemed to be overshadowed by luck, Liverpool's left-back, Andy Robertson, emphasized that the victory was crucial for his squad during these dark times. This was due to the controversial penalty awarded for a minor pull by Alessandro Bastoni on Florian Wirtz.

"We all needed this (win). We know the results and performance weren't good enough. This is important for the club in the Champions League and a huge result for us," said Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson, as reported by the BBC.

On the other hand, Liverpool also benefited from the disparity in quality of Inter when the first half had only been underway for half an hour. During that period, "I Nerazzurri" had already lost two key players, namely Hakan Calhanoglu and Francesco Acerbi, who suffered injuries.

Piotr Zielisnki, who replaced Calhanoglu, failed to replicate the Turkish playmaker's role and quality. Inter's balance was lost, and no player was able to control the tempo effectively.

"We should have been sharper in our choices in the final third, but we were really affected by the two changes at the start of the match," said Inter coach Cristian Chivu, as reported by Sky Sport Italia.

Regarding the penalty decision for Liverpool, Chivu does not want to fully blame the referee's decision. According to him, the decision was made from different perspectives between the main referee and the video assistant referee (VAR).

"I rarely comment on the referee's decisions. The referee is in a good position to see the entire incident. Initially, he did not decide on a penalty," said Chivu.

"When VAR intervenes, the VAR team should also understand the dynamics of the match. We must accept the decisions and learn to face injustices; we need to be more vigilant about such matters and focus on what we can control," he said.

Two consecutive defeats in the Champions League, having previously lost 1-2 to Atletico Madrid, threaten Inter's position in the top eight. The Champions League finalists from last season must secure maximum points in the remaining two tough matches of the group stage. They will face Arsenal (home) and Borussia Dortmund (away) in January. (AFP)