The Liverpool hierarchy protected Arne Slot’s authority by axing Mohamed Salah from the Champions League trip to Milan. The Liverpool team followed suit by inflicting a first European home defeat on Inter since September 2022 courtesy of Dominik Szoboszlai’s 88th-minute penalty. A brooding superstar with a bruised ego looked on from afar.

Salah would have been on penalty duties had he not talked himself out of a showpiece occasion at the San Siro, another legend of the game that is showing its age. Instead it fell to Szoboszlai, the friend he argued should not be playing on the right ahead of him, to give Slot a precious victory after Alessandro Bastoni was penalised for pulling Florian Wirtz’s shirt in the box with minutes remaining. Liverpool had been resolute and fiercely committed to that point, well worthy of the point that was heading their way until the video assistant referee sent German official Felix Zwayer to the pitch-side monitor to review Bastoni’s foul.

Liverpool move up to eighth in the Champions League table. Three teams have a game in hand and could overtake them; even so, with Marseille and Qarabag to come, Liverpool have a decent chance of finishing in the top eight.

Liverpool are the first team to beat Inter at San Siro in European competition since Bayern Munich in September 2022. In the circumstances, it’s been a brilliant night for them and especially for Arne Slot.

90+4 min “Evening from Naples,” writes Colum Fordham. “The pull on Wirtz was soft but the good thing is he’s not a heavyweight so it did affect his balance! Anyway, I’ve seen some soft penalties in my time in the Serie A so Inter can’t really complain. Great penalty from Szobozslai, and just reward for a solid performance.”

Szoboszlai’s right foot is one big sweet spot, isn’t it.

90+3 min Lautaro Martinez’s shot deflects behind for an Inter corner… which is swung straight into the warm embrace of Alisson.

90+2 min Liverpool finish the league stage with games against Marseille (A) and Qarabag (H), so they have a fair chance of finishing in the top eight. Teams 1-8 go straight through the last 16; teams 9-24 go into the playoff round.

90+1 min There will be six minutes of added time.

90 min Liverpool have been really good tonight, particularly in defence. Ekitike, who has a shot blocked as I type, has also been excellent in attack.

88 min Konate’s goal probably shouldn’t have been disallowed in the first half, so I guess it’s 1-1 on the VAR scoresheet.

87 min Bastoni gets a yellow card for the foul (sic) on Wirtz, and Liverpool have the chance to steal three points. Who’s their penalty taker these days?

86 min It’s still being checked by VAR. This could well be given… and the referee is going to the monitor. Weird. In slow motion there is a clear shirt pull, but there’s no way it was strong enough for Wirtz to fall over.

84 min: VAR check for a Liverpool penalty Wirtz goes over in the area after a slight shirt pull from Bastoni. I thought it was a dive but who knows anymore.

83 min: Triple substitution for Inter Petar Sucic, Ange-Yoan Bonny and Carlos Augusto replace Mkhitaryan, Thuram and Dimarco.

82 min Now the other substitute, Wirtz, shoots not far wide from distance.

80 min: Good save by Sommer! The enterprising Bradley, who has energised Liverpool’s attack, runs onto a short return pass from Ekitike and forces a shot from the angle that is beaten away at the near post by Sommer. It’s a pretty good save, but though it wasn’t a sitter for Bradley, he may feel he could have done better.

79 min Liverpool drew none of their first 18 games in the Premier League and Champions League this season. Now they’re 10 minutes away from a third draw in seven days.

76 min Wirtz’s through ball towards Ekitike is cleared by Sommer, sweeper-keeping in the modern style. I’d like to see it again but it looked like Wirtz overhit the pass and gave Sommer the chance to clear. Ekitike was certainly clear of the defence.

73 min Curtis Jones has been booked for something or other, and now there’s a bit of pushing and shoving involving the players on both sides. Much ado about nowt.

70 min Szoboszlai decides to cross rather than shoot and Inter clear the danger. But this is Liverpool’s best spell of the second half.

70 min Mac Allister is fouled 28 yards from goal by Thuram. Szoboszlai is over the ball…

69 min Bradley almost makes a goal straight away with a precise low cross to pick out Ekitike 15 yards from goal. His fierce first-time shot is crucially blocked by an Inter defender.

68 min: Double substitution for Liverpool Florian Wirtz and Conor Bradley replace Alexander Isak, who had another quiet game, and Joe Gomez.

66 min Dimarco’s corner is headed away to Barella on the edge of the D. He launches a Hackney Marshes shot high and wide.

65 min Inter break well after clearing Gomez’s long throw. The move is held up and then Thuram shoots wide from 25 yards. Decent effort but Alisson’s heart rate was unaffected.

62 min A long-range shot from Ekitike bounces awkwardly in front of Sommer, who holds on well.

60 min A dangerous break from Inter. Barella, on the left, picks out a fine angled pass to find Martinez just outside the area. He controls the ball on the run and whips a shot that is well blocked by Van Dijk.

58 min A dangerous cross from Robertson is shanked across his own six-yard box by Bastoni; that could easily have gone into the far corner of the net.

57 min Mkhitaryan is booked for a late challenge on Szoboszlai.

56 min More patient possession from Liverpool. This has been a bit like watching one of their classic, crowd-quietening away performances in the late 1970s and early 1980s – they’ve barely given Inter a sniff.

54 min Nothing much happening at the start of the second half. Both teams look like they have prioritised a clean sheet.

50 min Martinez lobs a brilliant pass down the left to release Mkhitaryan… but he overhits his cross/pass towards Thuram at the far post.

47 min Isak, who has been quiet so far, wins the ball on the edge of the Inter area, turns and mishits a shot well wide of the far post.

46 min Inter get the second half under way. No additional changes; Inter lost Calhanoglu and Acerbi in the first half.

Half-time reading

45+6 min: Good save by Alisson! Inter work the ball patiently on the left. Then, with no warning, a thrust of the dagger: a curling cross from Bastoni, lovely movement from Martinez to lose Van Dijk and a powerful downward header from 10 yards. Alisson reacts smartly, diving to his left to to push it away.

45+3 min Those two shots from Jones and Gravenberch in the 18th minute are the only efforts on target at either end.

45+1 min Okay, apart from the West Ham match. I meant against a top team, okay!

Two injuries + a long VAR check = seven minutes of added time.

45 min And it should be said that Liverpool’s defence hasn’t looked this solid in a long time, certainly away from home.

44 min We’re all friends here, so let us speak frankly: it’s been a forgettable, uneventful first half. But after recent events, Liverpool won’t complain if they have a quiet night.

40 min From the resulting free-kick, Barella flashes a lovely curler just wide of the near post. Alisson flew across his goal and probably had it covered. But I wouldn’t put the farm on it.

39 min Ekitike is booked for a late tackle on Thuram.

37 min A 1-0 lead wouldn’t have flattered Liverpool, who have defended with authority and had the better of the few chances. Saying which, Bisseck marches forward from the back, chops inside Gravenberch and hits a shot from 20 yards that spins behind off a defender.

In fact that Bisseck shot hit Van Dijk’s arm, but it was down by his side so let’s move on.

35 min: The referee is going to the monitor No rush, folks, it’s only taken three minutes so far.

34 min: VAR check ongoing The ball definitely hit Ekitike’s arm before looping towards Konate. It’s still being checked…

31 min: Inter substitution Acerbi’s race is run; he’s replaced in defence by Yann Bisseck.

29 min Ekitike strolls past Acerbi in the area, gets to the byline and blasts a cross that is pushed round the post by Sommer. I think Acerbi has done his hamstring as well.

27 min Martinez walks past Gravenberch (I think), tries a one-two with Thuram then goes down inside the area after a challenge from Van Dijk. Nothing in that – Van Dijk just leaned into Martinez as he tried to reach the return pass – but it was the first quality bit of play from Inter.

24 min And now Inter are applying some pressure.

20 min A good spell this for Liverpool, whose phalanx of midfielders are playing some good stuff in tight areas.

18 min That’s more like it. Jones dances neatly away from Mkhitaryan and drives a low shot across goal from 20 yards. Sommer plunges to his right to push it away; moments later, he falls to his right to push away a long-range wobbler from Gravenberch. Both were relatively comfortable saves.

17 min This game needs a bit of sildenafil citrate, or at least some Red Bull: neither attack has offered any penetration in the first 17 minutes.

15 min Martinez slid a long way into Robertson, but he made contact with his shin rather than his studs, hence a yellow card rather than a red.

13 min Inter captain Lautaro Martinez wipes out Andy Robertson and is booked. He apologies immediately to Robertson, who flipped up in the air like he’d been launched from an ejector seat.

11 min: Inter substitution Piotr Zielinski replaces Calhanoglu, who is able to walk from the field but has, I think, injured either a calf muscle or a hamstring.

10 min An early injury problem for Inter: Hakan Calhanoglu has pulled something and won’t be able to continue.

9 min “Interesting match, this,” writes Kieran McKintosh. “Because right now, Inter are everything Liverpool aren’t. Defensively strong. Practically unbeatable at home. Knowing how to nurture younger players. Very strong with two strikers. And consistent.

“I didn’t know what to think of Chivu at first. But he’s stuck to the winning formula and won the backing of players and fans alike. Slot could learn a thing or two from him.”

But weren’t we saying the same thing about Slot a year ago?

7 min It’s been a cagey start, with each team having a little spell of sterile domination.

5 min Now it’s Inter’s turn to keep the ball for a minute or more. Eventually Barella blooters a crossfield pass that is headed away by Robertson.

3 min Lots of Liverpool possession early on. Isak pulls out to the right and drives a low cross that is cut out by an Inter defender in the middle.

2 min Liverpool have started with Mac Allister as the advanced central midfielder, with Szoboszlai to the right and Jones to the left. Looks a fairly fluid formation.

1 min Liverpool kick off from right to left as we watch.

The players line up for the Champions League anthem. Theer’s a cracking atmosphere at San Siro, though this isn’t really news.

“An exciting attacking line up!” writes Matt Dony. “Problem is, it’s tricky to see the screen with this elephant hanging around…”

I’ve been called some things in my time at the Guardian but that’s a new one.

A reminder of the teams

Internazionale (3-5-2) Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Luis Henrique, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; M Thuram, L Martinez.

Subs: J Martinez, Taho, De Vrij, Zielinski, Sucic, Bonny, Frattesi, Diouf, Carlos Augusto, Bisseck, Cocchi, Esposito.

Liverpool (4-D-2) Alisson; Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch; Jones, Mac Allister; Szoboszlai; Isak, Ekitike.

Subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Kerkez, Wirtz, Bradley, Nyoni, Ngumoha, Lucky.

Referee Felix Zwayer (Germany).

Internazionale’s last home defeat in Europe was against Bayern Munich on 7 September 2022. Since then they’ve won 15 and drawn three, including victories over Barcelona (twice), Arsenal and Milan.

The Prime Video coverage has Liverpool in a 4-3-1-2 formation with Szoboszlai playing behind Isak and Ekitike. Not sure they’ll play without width, especially as Joe Gomez is at right-back. We’ll find out at 8pm sharp.

Curtis Jones, who will be part of a beefed-up Liverpool midfield, talks to Prime Video

[What’s the mood in the camp?] Positive. We’re always positive – we want to play well and win every game.

[On Inter’s excellent CL home record] We’re coming here to take that away. And just play our game as well. We want to be brave on the ball and put up a fight.

[On the consequences of defeat] I’m not thinking about a loss. It’d be mad to come into a game thinking like that.

Jonathan Wilson on Mo Salah

There is perhaps nothing in a career as hard as the leaving of it. Unless something utterly remarkable happens, Mohamed Salah has played his last game for Liverpool. Left out of the starting lineup for each of the last three matches, he trained on Monday after his extraordinary post-match tirade following the 3-3 draw with Leeds but he has not been selected for the Champions League against Inter on Tuesday. He may or may not be with the team for Saturday’s game at Anfield against Brighton (“I don’t know if I am going to play or not but I am going to enjoy it,” he said). After that, he will be in Morocco for the Africa Cup of Nations with the Egypt national team and the transfer window will have opened by the time the tournament is over.

How has it come to this? Salah is one of Liverpool’s all-time greats. He lies behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt in their all-time goalscoring charts. Across all clubs, only Alan Shearer, Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney have scored more Premier League goals. He played a key role in two Premier League titles and a Champions League. He’s won the Premier League Golden Boot four times and been named player of the year three times by both his fellow players and soccer writers – including last year. He’s only 33 and there has been no obvious sign yet of him fading with age. This is not the end anybody would have wanted.

There’s plenty of hot, sweaty Champions League action tonight, including Spurs v Slavia Prague and Atalanta v Chelsea. You can follow those games with Niall McVeigh.

‘A meltdown worthy of Saturday Kitchen’