Dominik Szoboszlai’s composed penalty decided a night that might otherwise have focused on Mohamed Salah’s absence. Had the spot-kick been missed, the debate over Liverpool’s form without their talisman would have grown louder. Instead Szoboszlai, Liverpool’s standout this season, calmly converted from 12 yards while the usual taker stayed at home nearly 1,000 miles away.
The players’ march to the away end and travelling supporters singing Arne Slot’s name underlined the mood. After a testing few days, Slot and his squad finally had reason to smile. The victory was Liverpool’s fourth at the San Siro in four years and their first Champions League away win without Salah since 2009 — a result made more notable by the presence of chief executive Michael Edwards in Milan.
Earlier in the week goalkeeper Alisson Becker had said the squad backed the manager following one of the most difficult spells of Slot’s tenure. On the pitch Liverpool produced a composed display after tactical tweaks from Slot, and crucially kept a clean sheet to follow up the collapse at Leeds on Saturday.
The sense of spirit and togetherness after a turbulent 72 hours was striking. Liverpool travelled with a trimmed 19-man squad and still got the job done. Virgil van Dijk stressed that outside noise should not alter the group’s focus, saying it ‘doesn’t change anything’ and emphasising the need for unity and consistency. Left-back Andy Robertson added that the team needed the result and that it was important for the club to be competing in the Champions League.
The challenge now is to build on this run. After a difficult sequence — nine defeats in 12 at one stage — Liverpool are unbeaten in four and look to have negotiated the toughest part of their schedule. Questions about Salah were inevitable after comments from the former Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf, with Slot replying that everyone makes mistakes and that responsibility for taking initiative can be complicated.
Van Dijk declined to assign blame, pointing out that Salah chose not to travel and trained normally the following day, and insisting that his focus remains on the team. For now, the evening belonged to those who played, and above all to Szoboszlai, who has been directly involved in more goals than any Liverpool player this season — 10 in total, with five goals and five assists. Slot praised Szoboszlai’s work-rate, resilience in a congested schedule and the quality of his finish from the penalty, noting it was his first in-game spot-kick for the club.
Winning at the San Siro was no small feat: Inter had been unbeaten in their previous 18 Champions League home ties. Slot urged recognition of the collective effort against a strong side at a famous stadium, and said the night should be about the players who were present rather than off-field stories.
If any proof was needed, the result suggested that Liverpool can move forward with or without Salah, at least for now.
