Rarely has a throw-in-the- limit been so enthusiastically celebrated. When Alexis Mac Allister fell and watched the ball go all the way to the sidelines in the final seconds of extra time at San Siro, Liverpool fans cheered with the same excitement as when witnessing a goal.
It was the perfect moment to depict the Reds' quiet but determined excellence in their 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League. The atmosphere on the pitch and in the stands was filled with challenges after a few stormy days of coach Arne Slot and the players. The fact that the match was decided by a penalty - decided by Dominik Szoboszlai in the 88th minute - brought a bit of a mocking taste.
Surely no one was following the incident with more attention than Mohamed Salah, who was absent when referee Felix Zwayer was invited to review Alessandro Bastoni's tackle on Florian Wirtz in the box. Salah - who was left out of the Milan squad after last weekend's controversial interview - has been a regular penalty Taker for Liverpool for the past 8 years. Perhaps he could have scored another goal for his incredible record, had he not publicly criticized Slot and the Elland Road club.
Normally, an iconic away trip to Inter Milan's home ground is already a big event. However, this time, football seems to be only playing a secondary role in the preparation for the match. Instead, the focus of all the ban tay before the match revolved around Salah's statement that he had been "thrown away" by Liverpool.
However, after all the noise off the pitch, this was still the moment Liverpool showed their true mettle. They did so with a hard-fought victory, temporarily taking the team - at least for now - up to eighth place in the Champions League rankings.
With Salah out of the squad and Cody Gakpo absent due to injury, Arne Slot was forced to make important adjustments for the match against Inter. He chose Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike to pair up in attack - the second time both have departed since arriving at Anfield with a total transfer value of up to 204 million pounds in the summer.
If expectations for them are proof that Liverpool's attack can operate effectively without Salah, then the reality is more exaggerated. Isak continues to lack the expected form. Since moving from Newcastle United in a context of many pressures, the Swedish international has struggled to integrate. He disappointed Inter again, making just 25 touches before being withdrawn in the second half.
However, Liverpool have shown solidity and organized much better than in recent months, almost not allowing Inter to create clear opportunities. The home team's most dangerous situation only came in the first half, when Alisson Becker had to push Lautaro Martinez's header out.
When returning to Merseyside, Arne Slot will have to quickly focus on finding a "fighting" deal with Salah, who is preparing to leave for the African Cup this weekend. The victory over Inter also marked the first time Liverpool have won all 3 points in the Champions League without the Egyptian star since November 2009.
Slot can fully hope that the statistics will help strengthen his position at this extremely sensitive time.
