Liverpool secured a morale boosting win as Dominik Szoboszlai slotted an ice cool penalty in the 88th minute to stun Inter Milan 1-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday (AEDT).
Szoboszlai stepped up the spot in the absence of club legend Mohamed Salah, who was dumped from the travelling squad amid a rift with manager Arne Slot.
The Hungary midfielder got his opportunity after Italy centre back Alessandro Bastoni had mindlessly tugged the back of Florian Wirtz’s shirt in the penalty box.
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Wirtz fell down theatrically but the penalty had to be awarded after a VAR review at the San Siro.
Liverpool had Ibrahima Konate’s first half goal scrubbed off for handball.
England great Rio Ferdinand felt the decision against Hugo Ekitike was “very harsh” but Slot’s squad kept pressing before Bastoni gave them a late lifeline.
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The three points lifted Liverpool to 12, level with Inter, in a huge boost to their hopes of progression to the next round.
But the post-match interest continued to centre on Salah, who claimed at the weekend he had been “thrown under the bus” by Slot in an extraordinary interview.
Slot turned the heat back on Salah when asked about the Egyptian’s future with the club.
Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool celebrates scoring. Liverpool FC via Getty Images
“Well, you say everyone makes mistakes in life but the question is should the players also recognise that as well?” Slot pondered.
“And should the initiative come from the player or me? A lot of things have been said. That affects the players and the individual as well, as he has been so so influential.”
Liverpool defender Andy Robertson was less cryptic.
“A tough situation. We’re talking about one of the greatest players to play for this club,” Robertson said.
“I signed in the same window as him (in 2017). Whatever has happened, happened. Internally, we’re all together…
“That (his future) will be up to other people, it’s not up to me. I love playing with Mo Salah and I hope to continue playing with him.”
A fan holds a flag dedicated to Mohamed Salah of Liverpool. Getty
Meanwhile, Chelsea were rocked by a 2-1 upset loss away to Atalanta in north Italy.
Brazil star Joao Pedro opened the scoring for Chelsea with a classic poachers’ goal in the first half.
But Gianluca Scamacca equalised in the second half before Charles De Ketelaere put Atalanta – a lowly 13th in Serie A – ahead in the 83rd minute.
Gianluca Scamacca of Atalanta celebrates scoring his team’s first goal. UEFA via Getty Images
Tottenham Hotspur were too strong for Slavia Prague in a 3-0 win as club legend Son Heung-min cheered on while on a visit to London from his new home in Los Angeles.
David Zima conceded a first half own goal for Prague before Mohammed Kudus doubled Spurs’ lead with a second half penalty, and Xavi Simons made it three with his own spot kick.
Earlier in Germany, Bayern Munich scored three times in 12 minutes in the second half to race back from a goal down and beat Portuguese visitors Sporting Lisbon 3-1 and stay firmly on course for a top-eight finish in the league phase.
Goals from Serge Gnabry, teenager Lennart Karl and Jonathan Tah between the 65th and 77th minutes gave the Bundesliga leaders an impressive comeback win after Sporting took a surprise lead thanks to a Joshua Kimmich own goal nine minutes after the restart.
Man-of-the-match Karl, aged 17 years and 290 days, became the youngest player in Champions League history to score in three consecutive appearances and his performance will further boost his chances of a Germany call-up ahead of next year’s World Cup.
“To play in the Champions League at 17 is something special for me. I am very proud of myself and the team,” a beaming Karl said.
“I have trained a lot with the right foot and I was rewarded today,” he said of his goal where he controlled the ball with a fine touch and then scored.
“It was a perfect contact with the left and then fired with the right.”
The Bavarians, who suffered their first defeat across all competitions this season when they lost to Arsenal in the Champions League on the previous matchday two weeks ago, are on 15 points in second place with two matches left in the league phase.
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Sporting dropped to ninth on 10 points.
The top eight teams qualify for the knockout stage, with the next 16 going into a playoff for eight more spots.
Bayern went on the attack from the start and put the ball in the net after five minutes through Karl, only for his effort to be ruled out by VAR for offside.
Bundesliga top-scorer Harry Kane went even closer when he hit the post with a deft shot in the 37th minute before Sporting keeper Rui Silva pulled off a reflex save to stop Karl’s shot a minute before the break.
The injury-hit visitors stunned the home crowd when they went 1-0 up against the run of play thanks to Kimmich, who stabbed in a Joao Simoes cutback for an own goal.
It did not take long for Bayern to respond and Michael Olise whipped in a 65th-minute corner to the far post for Gnabry to volley in the equaliser.
Karl got on the scoresheet four minutes later, drilling in his third goal in four Champions League matches in his meteoric rise this season.
Tah, who had almost scored an own goal in the first half, sealed their win, poking in from close range in the 77th.