Liverpool Find Their Relief in Milan as Szoboszlai Steps Up Amid Salah Absence

Liverpool Find Their Relief in Milan as Szoboszlai Steps Up Amid Salah Absence

Liverpool arrived in Milan facing intense pressure, with Mohamed Salah’s absence fueling doubts about their ability to win on a big European night. But Dominik Szoboszlai eased that tension by converting a decisive penalty, stepping into a role usually reserved for Salah, who watched from nearly a thousand miles away.

The win marked Liverpool’s fourth consecutive victory at the San Siro, but more significantly, their first Champions League away win without Salah since 2009. After days of turbulence, the players celebrated with the travelling fans, offering Arne Slot a much-needed moment of relief following one of the most difficult weeks of his tenure.

Liverpool’s performance showed resilience and unity. Despite travelling with a depleted 19-man squad, they produced a composed display, kept a clean sheet, and responded strongly to last weekend’s collapse against Leeds. Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson both emphasized the importance of sticking together and acknowledged recent results have not been up to Liverpool’s standards.

Naturally, Salah dominated the post-match questions. Slot admitted that “everyone makes mistakes,” while van Dijk avoided blaming anyone, insisting the focus should remain on the team. Salah had trained normally before the trip, leaving uncertainty about what comes next.

The night, however, belonged to Szoboszlai. With five goals and five assists this season, he has contributed to more goals than any Liverpool player. Slot praised his physical effort and mentality, calling his performance “special,” especially considering he played four matches in just ten days.

Beating an Inter side unbeaten in 18 home Champions League matches was no small achievement. Whether this win becomes a turning point remains to be seen, but it proved something essential: Liverpool can still deliver big European performances—with or without Mohamed Salah.