Inter 0-2 Liverpool: Firmino and Salah goals

The San Siro draw, cruel as the men dressed in red, says 0-2: one could think of an English tide that has come to submerge Milan, a Champions League round already decided, but Inter lose to Liverpool well beyond their own demerits. He comes out with his head held high despite the bloody score. After all, the atrocious double joke in the final quarter of an hour does not cancel a courageous and proud test: before Firmino guessed the head carom and Salah raged beyond measure, Inzaghi’s men had only missed the scratch under the goal. However, to win and prolong hope, Anfield will need something more: greater luck, of course, but also greater cynicism.

START

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Inzaghi’s 3-5-2 is the one expected, with Dzeko’s usual companion Lautaro after passing the ballot with Sanchez, and Vidal, substitute for the disqualified Barella, who tries to find traces of the Arturo he was within. Klopp, on the other hand, sends the 18-year-old Elliott to the field in the midfield trio and no one can be surprised: the German has immense confidence in the boy, the youngest rookie in the history of the Premier (just 16 and 30 days in 2019). From the beginning, the Nerazzurri wanted to shield the passing lines thanks to an overwork of the median to avoid bloody one-on-one: when Salah goes straight for Bastoni in the second minute a shiver runs down the back of the 37,000 at San Siro. But with courage and without any fear, Inter builds the best chances of the first half: already on the 5th minute a shot by Lautaro who tries to interrupt the curse of Toro, but the real maxi-action comes minutes later, at 16 ‘ . With a grazing cross by Perisic that catches Calha very free in the small area: perfect control of the Turkish, an equally beautiful left foot and the crossbar that breaks the scream of the fans in the throat.

BANDS AND HEART

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However, it is a sign that Inter can really overturn the table on the flanks: there they have two warriors, Ivan the terrible and Dumfries capable of withstanding physical impact and ready to keep their opposite sides down (as far as possible). For example, on a cross from the Dutchman on the restart, which would have opened Dzeko wide in front of Alisson, a super intervention by Konaté is needed to save Liverpool. The rest is the utmost attention and widespread generosity in all the Nerazzurri: not only in the central three, but in turn Vidal, Calha, Brozo and even Dzeko have to defend the fort inside the area. If in the few turnovers in the median you risk shaking, when Inter manages to restart they have the opportunity to hurt for the space granted behind by the men in red: Lautaro could beat twice but hesitates too much. Thus, at the end of the Nerazzurri’s first half of struggle and intelligence, the double work of the median shines above all. And, among them, a “total” Calha proves to be at the top of the Champions League both for the opportunities created and for the safety in the defensive plays.

THE SHOOT

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Klopp at the start of the second half tries to record something in the attack that fired blanks: outside Jota, whose movement to exit was harmless, and inside the more experienced Firmino. To understand the enormous importance of this change on the match, we will have to wait for the last part of the match, also because at the beginning Inter did not retreat even a little from the match plan. On the contrary, he appears even more courageous in the restarts: Vidal is almost as tough as when he was ten less and the two high wards almost on the line of the attackers. Perisic often and willingly lashes Alexander-Arnold from his side and only a cross a little high prevents Lautaro from finally putting her in this one after a year and three months of fasting. Soon after on another dry shot in the middle of the Croatian Konaté saves again.

THE CHANGES AND THE JOKE

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It is the moment of maximum forcing of the Nerazzurri and obviously something in the English is not working properly. At this point Klopp shuffles the deck even more in the 60th minute: Keita for Elliott, Henderson for Fabinho and Luis Diaz for Mané enter. Just the Spaniard gives an extra point to the Reds attack and a providential closure by Skriniar slows down a potentially poisonous conclusion. The first change of the game Inzaghi does it in the seventieth and, as usual, there is Sanchez who makes Lautaro rest, dry for the umpteenth game. But fate is consuming an atrocious insult for Simone’s team, a goal on a spike after a corner kick from Robertson which is also quite casual: Firmino’s header gives the ball an unexpected trajectory that surprises Handonovic at the far post. There had been no major signs of a red tide until then, yet when the match is 15 minutes away, the Nerazzurri are under water and suddenly without strength. A goal behind after the enormous effort and fatigue is felt to the point that Inter suffers another unexpected blow: in the 83rd minute a ball bobbles in the area, apparently harmless, and on the cue (yet another in the season) De Vrij scores Salah with a weak central kick. Here, Handa could do more. Exactly what you will need in the Liverpool temple: more.