Substitutes Roberto Firmino and Luis Diaz made the difference during Liverpool’s 2-0 Champions League win away to Inter Milan, Nerazzurri legend Riccardo Ferri tells Mediaset.
There were only two shots on target at the San Siro on Wednesday night. And both of them ended up nestling in the back of Samir Handanovic’s night.
Firmino’s 75th minute opener, a fine header glanced into the far corner following an Andy Robertson corner, came following a prolonged spell of Inter dominance.
The irrepressible Ivan Perisic was giving Trent Alexander-Arnold nightmares; More crosses than the Vatican’s store cupboard.
Thiago Alcantara, Jurgen Klopp’s tempo-setting conductor, was incapable of holding a tune as Inter swarmed all around him. Salah, until his late decider, was invisible.
Virgil van Dijk, meanwhile, was forced into the sort of defensive masterclass he’s made his calling card since arriving at Anfield for what now looks like the best £75 million ever spent.
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“For the first 45 minutes, Inter suffered a bit,” says Ferri, a two-time UEFA Cup winner with the Italian giants (Tuttomercatoweb).
“Then they started well in the second half, putting (Liverpool) in difficulty up to 70 minutes. Liverpool are a team that knows how to suffer and then punish you. The 2-0 penalises (Inter’s) performance a lot.”
In the end, the superior strength in depth available to Jurgen Klopp made the difference in Milan. Firmino might not be the ethereal force of old but he’s still capable of game-changing contributions on the biggest of stages.
The arrival of a silky smooth Luis Diaz, meanwhile, adds another match-winning talent to a frontline already chock full of them.
“Diaz and Firmino gave brilliance and clarity by tipping the balance (in Liverpool’s favour),” Ferri adds.
“Perisic was having a great match on the left in front of Alexander-Arnold. (Arturo) Vidal was also very good. He’s often criticised unfairly.”
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