Written by Zack Oaten – @Zackoaten1
It was a nervy performance from Liverpool tonight after they lost their first home game in over a year. However, a 1-0 defeat to the Nerazzurri was not enough to stop their progress to the Quarter Finals as the Reds continue their Champions League run.
Alisson – 7
Despite conceding a Lautaro Martínez thunderbolt, Alisson was comfortable in goal today. The Brazilian didn’t have to deal with any major saves, mainly dealing with some awkward shots and parries out. The goal takes nothing away from a solid performance overall.
Trent – 7
Trent saved us countless times tonight with some last ditch tackles, without him we could easily have been 2 or 3 down. However, the 23 year old was sloppy in possession at times and his iconic pinpoint passes failed to meet their target a lot of the time.
Van Dijk – 7
Similar to the rest of the Liverpool defense, the Dutchman was a rock at the back today. No clean sheet does not take away from what was a great showing for our defensive centurion. Not even the best defender in the world could have done anything about that goal.
Matip – 6
A mislead pass to Trent resulted in Lautaro Martínez firing in Inter Milan’s only shot on target in the second half. Ultimately the blame is on Matip, but it would be harsh to pin the score line on him as Liverpool did have countless chances up top and should have finished off the tie well before the goal. The Cameroonian was unlucky not to score in the first half as his header bounced off the bar, and he maintained his solid partnership with Van Dijk throughout the match.
Robertson – 8
I swear this man has 3 lungs, his stamina is insane. Out of the entire defense tonight Robertson was the one that stood out from the rest. He chased every ball like a dog and provided support on the left pocketed Denzel Dumfries the entire game. Fantastic performance.
Fabinho – 7
His tackles meant the Reds could maintain control and dominate midfield even if he got frustrated by one or two of the fouls that were given against him. However, Fabinho lost possession 6 times throughout the game after some sloppy passes and wayward touches.
Jones – 6
The 21-year-old only played 61 minutes this evening which is due to his ineffectiveness in the middle of the pitch. Jones made a few weaving runs in and out of defenders but none of them led to anything. He really struggled tonight.
Thiago – 7
Thiago is like a bully with flair, he will throw you off the ball and nutmeg you whilst you are down on the floor. Tonight however, he was missing something. Maybe it is because he is coming back from injury, but Thiago lost possession 10 times today and seemed to be throwing tackles in more than he passed the ball. A disappointing performance.
Jota – 5
Jota’s overall game and link up play was poor. Tonight, it felt like he was playing in the wrong team, in a system he had never heard of before. Luis Diaz coming on in the second half was a huge relief to say the least.
Salah – 7
Salah came into the game as the competition’s 3rd highest goal scorer and just could not add to his tally today as he hit the post twice. The Egyptian ghosted in the first half and failed to have a major impact in the second. It just was not his night tonight. Although he can consider himself very unlucky to hit the post twice! Another day he’s scored two and the game is done.
Mane – 6
Mane’s performance tonight was similar to Diogo Jota’s, very poor. He seemed to have the wrong boots on today as a lot of his dribbles, passes and touches went astray. It certainly isn’t the Sadio Mane we are used to, much like the rest of the front three he was dismal today.
Subs
Keita – 8
Naby was immense today, I am sure many fans will have wondered why he didn’t start the game. Inter Milan were down to 10 men when he came on in the 65th minute which could have made it easier for him but overall, he had a significant impact off the bench.
Henderson – 7
This was a big game for Liverpool and the Reds needed a big player like Henderson to start in the middle. Similar to Keita in his impact after coming on, he held down the game to the very end and put in a decent performance.
Diaz – 6
Despite only being on the pitch for 7 minutes, Diaz had the perfect opportunity to put the game to bed with an almost open goal. He opted for a no look finish and embarrassed himself. Maybe next time he should look.
