- Neil Johnston
- BBC Sports
Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp said that his team deserves to reach the quarter-finals of the European Champions, despite some mistakes in its match with Inter Milan in the second leg of the round of 16 of the European Championship.
The Reds lost at Anfield once morest the Italian team with a single goal.
But Lautaro Martinez’s superb goal was not enough for Inter’s rise, as the goals of Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah in the first leg three weeks ago overcame the English team.
Klopp said, “The art of football is in choosing the matches to lose,” following Liverpool’s seven European victories this season ended with a disappointing loss.
The German added: “I still hate it, but if there is a match that we can afford to lose, it is this match, because our first goal here is to advance to the next round.”
“It doesn’t mean I’m flying with joy – but I’m glad we got up… I think we deserved it,” Klopp continued.
The Reds coach continued, “If we had taken advantage of the opportunities that came to us, from set pieces and others, we would have won in the end. But we missed a number of opportunities.”
Klopp added: “The only thing that matters to me is that we deservedly moved up.”
Martinez did not leave a chance for goalkeeper Alison Becker with his shot, which he fired like an arrow from a distance of 20 yards in the 61st minute of the match.
But Inter’s hopes of scoring a second goal faded following two minutes of the goal, the moment Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez was sent off for receiving his second yellow card in the match.
The Reds reached the goal of the Italian opponent three times, but without a goal in a tense match – six yellow cards were shown, as well as a red card in the face of Sanchez.
After a header by Cameroonian Joel Matip intercepted by the Inter goalkeeper, the Egyptian Salah missed two chances.
Satisfaction with the rise of the Reds
With the final whistle blown, there was relief at Anfield following fears of not reaching the quarter-finals.
Liverpool were far from his best, but nevertheless seemed to be in control of the match until Martinez scored his brilliant goal, but Sanchez’s dismissal put the reins back in the hands of the hosts.
Liverpool’s first defeat in 2022, following an impressive string of victories, and following winning the League Cup, reminded Klopp that he had some hard work to do if he wanted to finish the season with more success.
Scoring 109 goals in 43 matches makes this Inter game a rare event, as the Reds were unable to shake the opponent’s net in a match in which Liverpool players did everything except for scoring.
However, one positive thing for the German coach appeared in this match – Trent Alexander-Arnold’s performance, which is improving as the season progresses.
First home defeat in a year
This defeat once morest Inter comes regarding a year following the last defeat Liverpool suffered at home – Anfield.
On the seventh of March 2021, the Gabonese Mario Lemina, the English player of Fulham, shook the Reds’ net, giving the kiss of life to his team, which was battling relegation.
Liverpool played 28 games without losing a single at home – with 21 wins and seven draws.
The last time Inter Milan beat the Reds was in 1965.
Despite this loss, the Reds reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the fourth time in the last five seasons.