Liverpool’s seven-match winning run in the Champions League was ended by Inter Milan, but Jurgen Klopp’s side progressed to the quarter-finals with a 2-1 aggregate success.
An outstanding finish by Lautaro Martinez was not enough for Italian champions at Anfield as the late goals by Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah in the first leg in Milan three weeks ago proved decisive.
Martinez gave Alisson no chance with an arrowed finish from 20 yards in the 61st minute.
But Inter’s hopes of forcing extra-time with a second goal faded when former Arsenal and Manchester United forward Alexis Sanchez was sent off just two minutes later for a second yellow card.
Liverpool hit the woodwork three times in a bad-tempered game which, in addition to Sanchez’s red card, saw six other players booked.
After Joel Matip headed against the bar, Salah struck the post twice in front of the Kop.
The draw for the last eight takes place on 18 March in Nyon, Switzerland.
The game was also stopped for a few minutes in the first half due to a medical emergency in the crowd.
Relief as Reds progress
There was a sense of relief around Anfield at full-time after Liverpool suffered a scare before booking their place in the last eight.
The Reds were far from their best, but looked in control of the tie until Martinez’s excellent strike, before Sanchez’s dismissal gave the hosts fresh momentum.
Yet a first defeat of 2022, after a terrific run in which they have delivered a trophy with the EFL Cup, will serve as reminder to manager Klopp that there is still work to do if they are to end the season with more success.
Having scored 109 goals in their previous 43 games, this was a rare occasion they failed to find the net.
Liverpool did everything but score, though, as they rattled the bar and post, while substitute Luis Diaz was denied at point-blank range in the dying stages by Arturo Vidal’s block.
One positive for Klopp was the performance of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who seems to get better and better the longer the season goes on.
He was at the heart of all his side’s best moves and went close to scoring from a free-kick at the end of the first half.
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Rate players out of 10 throughout or after the game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle.
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Liverpool
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Squad number8Player nameKeïta
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Squad number14Player nameHenderson
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Squad number23Player nameDÃaz
Inter Milan
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Squad number1Player nameHandanovic
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Squad number37Player nameSkriniar
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Squad number6Player namede Vrij
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Squad number95Player nameBastoni
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Squad number2Player nameDumfries
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Squad number22Player nameVidal
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Squad number77Player nameBrozovic
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Squad number20Player nameCalhanoglu
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Squad number14Player namePerisic
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Squad number10Player nameMartÃnez
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Squad number7Player nameSánchez
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Squad number5Player nameGagliardini
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Squad number8Player nameVecino
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Squad number19Player nameCorrea
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Squad number33Player nameD’Ambrosio
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Squad number36Player nameDarmian
Line-ups
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Alisson
- 66Alexander-Arnold
- 32Matip
- 4van Dijk
- 26RobertsonBooked at 47mins
- 17JonesSubstituted forKeïtaat 65′minutes
- 3Fabinho
- 6Thiago AlcántaraSubstituted forHendersonat 65′minutes
- 11Salah
- 20JotaBooked at 40minsSubstituted forDÃazat 83′minutes
- 10ManéBooked at 70mins
Substitutes
- 7Milner
- 8Keïta
- 12Gomez
- 13Adrián
- 14Henderson
- 15Oxlade-Chamberlain
- 18Minamino
- 21Tsimikas
- 23DÃaz
- 27Origi
- 62Kelleher
- 67Elliott
Inter Milan
Formation 3-5-2
- 1Handanovic
- 37Skriniar
- 6de VrijSubstituted forD’Ambrosioat 45′minutes
- 95BastoniBooked at 85mins
- 2DumfriesSubstituted forDarmianat 75′minutes
- 22VidalBooked at 45mins
- 77BrozovicSubstituted forGagliardiniat 75′minutesBooked at 90mins
- 20CalhanogluSubstituted forVecinoat 83′minutes
- 14Perisic
- 10MartÃnezSubstituted forCorreaat 75′minutes
- 7SánchezBooked at 63mins
Substitutes
- 5Gagliardini
- 8Vecino
- 9Dzeko
- 13Ranocchia
- 18Gosens
- 19Correa
- 21Cordaz
- 32Dimarco
- 33D’Ambrosio
- 36Darmian
- 88Caicedo
- 97Radu
- Referee:
- Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz
- Attendance:
- 51,747
Live Text
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Match ends, Liverpool 0, Inter Milan 1.
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Second Half ends, Liverpool 0, Inter Milan 1.
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Foul by Joel Matip (Liverpool).
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JoaquÃn Correa (Inter Milan) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Roberto Gagliardini (Inter Milan) is shown the yellow card.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Dangerous play by Roberto Gagliardini (Inter Milan).
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Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Arturo Vidal.
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Attempt blocked. Luis DÃaz (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
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Offside, Inter Milan. Roberto Gagliardini tries a through ball, but Matteo Darmian is caught offside.
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Attempt missed. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right following a corner.
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Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by MatÃas Vecino.
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Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Milan Skriniar.
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Attempt missed. Sadio Mané (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Trent Alexander-Arnold with a cross following a set piece situation.
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Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan).
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Substitution, Inter Milan. MatÃas Vecino replaces Hakan Calhanoglu.
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Substitution, Liverpool. Luis DÃaz replaces Diogo Jota.
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Dangerous play by Jordan Henderson (Liverpool).