Liverpool have booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Inter Milan, despite suffering a 1-0 loss to the Nerazzurri in the second leg at Anfield.
After claiming a 2-0 first-leg win at San Siro, Jurgen Klopp's side were under the cosh against the Nerazzurri in front of their own fans and went 1-0 down in the 61st minute thanks to a peach of a Lautaro Martinez strike.
However, Inter's task became monumentally more difficult just two minutes later as Alexis Sanchez was sent off for two bookable offences, and the Serie A champions could not find that crucial second goal.
Liverpool struggled to carve out many clear-cut opportunities in open play in the first half, but Joel Matip headed against the crossbar from a corner before Virgil van Dijk was thwarted brilliantly by Milan Skriniar with a header of his own.
Mohamed Salah was presented with a magnificent opportunity to break the deadlock early in the second half but could only hit the post with the goal at his mercy, and just after the hour mark, the Liverpool defence backed off and allowed Martinez to rifle a long-range effort into the top corner.
Barely two minutes after setting up the opener, ex-Arsenal man Sanchez received his second yellow card of the game for another studs-up tackle - this time on Fabinho - but the woodwork was not Liverpool's friend as Salah hit the post again.
Substitute Luis Diaz had a magnificent opportunity to make the net ripple and put the tie to bed in injury time, but Arturo Vidal somehow managed to block the Colombian's effort with a sliding challenge from close range.
Liverpool endured a surprising off night in front of goal at Anfield as their 31-match unbeaten run at home came to an end, but the Reds have made the last eight for the second year running.
Ben Knapton
