FROM the highs of victory over perpetual nemeses Real Madrid to the lows of a home humiliation at the hands of PSV Eindhoven, Liverpool fans have experienced all the emotions in this season’s Champions League, in which the latter result saw an unwanted 96-year-old record equaled.
That 4-1 thrashing at the hands of the Dutch giants marked Liverpool’s third home loss by at least three goals in the 2025-26 season, the first time they had suffered that fate since the 1929-30 season, and left them outside the coveted top-eight positions with nine points on the board.
The glass-half-full Liverpool brigade may point to their side’s three-game unbeaten run since that Merseyside mauling, but a 2-0 victory at West Ham United did not prove to be the Premier League turning point some may have hoped for, evidenced by dismal draws vs. newly-promoted Sunderland and Leeds United.
After the Reds shipped a 96th-minute equaliser to the latter in Saturday’s 3-3 stalemate, unused substitute Mohamed Salah dropped one of the biggest bombshells he could have possibly dropped, accusing Liverpool of throwing him under the bus and admitting that his relationship with head coach Arne Slot was now non-existent.
The Reds hierarchy have so far resisted calls to part ways with their under-fire manager, and if the powers-that-be take Slot’s side, as the status quo would suggest, we may very well be seeing the last of Salah in a Liverpool shirt.
For now, whether the 33-year-old is on the pitch or on the bench in Milan, he will do his bit to help Liverpool to a fourth successive win over an Italian team in Europe, but the form book suggests that will be much easier said than done.
While Inter’s last outing in the Champions League also ended in a demoralising setback, a 2-1 away defeat to Atletico Madrid who only claimed all three points in second-half injury time does not set off the same alarm bells as a PSV pummelling.
Furthermore, Cristian Chivu’s men had been flawless on the continent before succumbing to Los Rojiblancos’ superiority, albeit against opponents they would expect to overcome in Kairat, Union SG, Slavia Prague and Ajax.
Nevertheless, Inter formerly went about their business with aplomb and sit fourth in the 36-team table as a result, level on points with Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain and three shy of perfect leaders Arsenal.
Last season’s beaten finalists have also been dazzling domestically since being seen off by Atletico, winning three straight games across Serie A and the Coppa Italia by an aggregate score of 11-1, most recently crushing Como 4-0 on Saturday.
All eyes will naturally be on Salah’s name when the Liverpool team sheet is released, but it would be a shock if the Egyptian is restored to the XI after his explosive comments; another watching brief surely awaits.
Netting his 11th goal of the season in all competitions against Como, attacking figurehead Lautaro Martinez has also scored in each of his last five Champions League home matches for Inter Milan, and the Argentine should join forces with Marcus Thuram up top.
— Sportsmole
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