Even from the penalty spot, Liverpool managed just fine without Mohamed Salah.
After leaving the Egypt forward in England, Liverpool got a much-needed boost with a 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday morning (AEDT). Barcelona and Bayern Munich also celebrated comeback wins and Chelsea lost.
With Liverpool’s regular penalty taker Salah out of the squad following his public criticism of the club last week, Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up instead to score the 88th-minute penalty which earned a 1-0 win over one of the competition’s best-performing teams.
It was all the more valuable coming after a run of one win in six games in all competitions for Arne Slot’s under-pressure team, which moved up to eighth in the Champions League table and is now back in contention for a direct spot in the round of 16. Inter dropped to fifth.
Following the win, the attention immediately turned back to Salah’s apparent falling out with Slot and whether he would feature at the weekend against Brighton — Liverpool’s last fixture before Salah departs to represent Egypt at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
“Well, you say everyone makes mistakes in life but the question is should the players also recognise that as well? And should the initiative come from the player or me,” Slot said when asked post-match whether he’d like Salah back in his squad.
“There [were] a lot of things being said. That affects the players and the individual as well as he has been so, so influential.”
Salah’s long-time teammate Andy Robertson called the club’s current predicament “a tough situation”.
“For me, he [Salah] is one of the greatest players to play for this club. He has been unbelievable for us. I signed the same window as him and we’ve been through so many highs and lows,” he said.
“Whatever happens, happens internally. We’re all together in the changing room, and you could see that today.
“I love playing with Mo Salah and I hope to continue playing with him.”
Salah (left) created controversy at the weekend by saying his relationship with Slot (right) has completely broken down. (Getty Images: Molly Darlington)
Liverpool’s players thought they had taken the lead with Ibrahima Konate’s header in the 31st minute. After a video review that lasted several minutes, it was ruled out for handball as Virgil van Dijk had earlier nodded the ball on to the arm of Hugo Ekitike.
Having taken away a goal from Liverpool, VAR came to the visitors’ aid when it spotted that Alessandro Bastoni had tugged Florian Wirtz’s shirt in the area, with the midfielder flailing to the ground. Szoboszlai converted the penalty.
Teen sensation continues to star for Bayern
Bayern’s 17-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl produced an audacious bit of skill to continue his high-scoring start to life in the Champions League in a 3-1 win over Sporting Lisbon which lifted Bayern to second behind Arsenal.
Karl scored his third goal in four career Champions League games, controlling a pass from Konrad Laimer in mid-air before volleying a shot from a tight angle over two onrushing defenders and past the goalkeeper.
It was part of a 12-minute, three-goal turnaround for Bayern after Joshua Kimmich’s own-goal handed Sporting the lead. Serge Gnabry levelled for Bayern when he was left unmarked at a corner in the 65th, before Karl scored Bayern’s second in the 69th and defender Jonathan Tah made it 3-1 in the 77th.
Widely viewed as German soccer’s best young talent this season, Karl became Bayern’s youngest-ever Champions League scorer in October on his first start in the competition.
Late on, Canadian left back Alphonso Davies came off the bench for his first game since March after a serious knee injury.
Yamal sets Champions League record
Headers by Jules Koundé three minutes apart gave Barcelona a 2-1 comeback victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Marcus Rashford assisted in the first goal in the 50th and Lamine Yamal with a cross in the second in the 53rd.Â
Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal (left) continued the mesmerising start to his football career with another ‘youngest ever’ record. (Getty Images: David Ramirez)
The goal took Yamal to 14 career combined goals and assists in the Champions League, breaking a tie with Kylian Mbappe for the most by a player aged under 19, UEFA said.
The visitors had taken the lead with a goal by Ansgar Knauff in a 21st-minute breakaway at the renovated but only partially open Camp Nou stadium.
Son says goodbye to Spurs
Son Heung-min said a belated goodbye to Tottenham as his former club moved up to ninth after beating Slavia Prague 3-0 via an own-goal and two penalties in a game overshadowed by a dispute over moving a rainbow flag showing support for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Julián Alvarez scored for the ninth time in his last nine league-phase appearances to lead Atletico Madrid to a 3-2 come-from-behind win at PSV Eindhoven.
Marseille held on for a 3-2 win over Union Saint-Gilloise, which had two potential equalisers ruled out for narrow offsides on video review.
Folarin Balogun’s close-range finish gave Monaco a 1-0 win over Galatasaray. Gelson Martins scored the only goal in Olympiakos’ 1-0 win over Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan.
AP/ABC