A bitter defeat for Inter, who lost at San Siro to a Liverpool side that wasn't in much of a slump. Without Salah—who was opted out of the squad by the club—and coming off a difficult few weeks with subpar results, Slot's team won thanks to a penalty converted by Szoboszlai, awarded two minutes from time after VAR review of images for Bastoni holding Wirtz in the penalty area.
In the 88th minute, the incident that changed everything: the referee was called by VAR to review the footage for a potential penalty for Bastoni holding Wirtz in the penalty area. Wirtz, feeling his shirt pulled, went down in a blatant manner. The referee reviewed the penalty and then awarded it, which Szoboszlai converted with a powerful, precise shot into the top corner. At the end of the match, Inter protested the overly generous penalty that decided the match. But Bastoni made a blatant mistake in holding the ball, while Inter were left with anger and disappointment for the wasted opportunities.
It's the second defeat in the Champions League after the one against Atlético Madrid for the Nerazzurri, who seemed too timid, perhaps tired, and at times less lucid than they were accustomed to. Even without Salah, who had fallen out with the Reds and remained in Liverpool training in the gym, as per the social media photo, Liverpool did what they had to, earning three points that were crucial, especially for morale.
Palladino's Atalanta, meanwhile, rose to prominence in the Champions League and once again made their fans dream. The Bergamo side won 2-1 over Chelsea thanks to a comeback courtesy of Charles De Ketelaere: a talented left-footer who, alternating between attacking direction and weak-footed play near the penalty area, first set up Scamacca's equalizer in the air and then turned the game around in the closing stages. Thus, Atalanta ended up moving three points clear of the reigning Club World Cup champions, 13 to 10. A tactically perfect performance and, above all, a convincing response to the visitors' deficit by Joao Pedro . With four points between Bilbao and Union Saint-Gilloise on the road, a direct qualification to the round of 16 is a dream come true.
(Unioneonline)
