Champions League: Inter Milan End Liverpool’s Unbeaten Home Run as Reds Advance on Aggregate

Champions League: Inter Milan End Liverpool’s Unbeaten Home Run as Reds Advance on Aggregate

Rene Otinga
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:57 PM
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  • Liverpool were made to work for their place in the Champions League quarter final by a determined Inter Milan
  • The Nerazzuri won the second leg of the last 16 tie 1-0 but it was not enough to take them through as Liverpool advanced 2-1 on aggregate
  • Defeat at Anfield was Liverpool’s first in more than a year, but Klopp’s side had glorious chances to get a goal

Liverpool scraped to the Champions League quarter-final thanks to a 2-1 aggregate win over Inter Milan in the last 16.

Inter Milan ended Liverpool’s unbeaten run at Anfield with a 1-0 victory, but it was not enough to see them through to the next round.

Lautaro Martinez got the only goal of the game at the hour mark on Tuesday, March 9 as Inter Milan ended the game with 10 men after Alexis Sanchez’s dismissal moments after his side took the lead.

Lautaro Martinez
Liverpool were made to work for their place in the Champions League quarter-final by a determined Inter Milan. Photo by Chris Brunskill.
Source: Getty Images

Liverpool survive nervy finale

In the build-up to the game, Liverpool were heavy favourites to advance to the next round, having set themselves up nicely with a 2-0 win in the first leg.

And as expected, the Reds were dominant in possession from the opening exchanges, although they struggled to break down what was an organized Inter Milan defence.

The closest the hosts came to an opener was when Joel Matip hit the post with a powerful header from a Trent Alexander Arnold free-kick.

Inter came to life in the second half, and found the front foot through Martinez, whose arrowed finish from 20 yards gave Alisson no chance.

The visitors had all the momentum from then but their joy was short-lived as Alexis Sanchez received a second yellow card two minutes after the goal.

Liverpool controlled most of the game from then on, hitting the post twice more through Mohammed Salah.

Salah should have done better but was unlucky to see his placed shot hit the upright after a brilliant cross from the left.

January signing Luis Diaz also had a brilliant chance to get a goal but his goal-bound shot was expertly kept off by Arturo Vidal.

Despite a late onslaught from Inter, Liverpool clung on to their narrow lead to secure their ticket to the next round.

For Simeone Inzaghi, he will be left wondering what could have been if Sanchez had not been sent off.

Lewandowski makes Champions League history

Elsewhere, Robert Lewandowski has set a new record in the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League.

The Poland international scored a hat trick inside 23 minutes as Bayern Munich thrashed Salzburg 7-1 and 8-2 on aggregate to advance to the quarter finals.

His treble means he has now scored the earliest hat trick in Champions League history.

Authors
Rene Otinga photo
Rene Otinga
Rene Otinga is a sports journalist with over eight years of working experience in digital media. Rene's experience includes working as a Copywriter at X News Kenya and TUKO.co.ke.
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