Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool: Dominik Szoboszlai sets Liverpool Champions League record as Arne Slot gets closer to qualification

Dominik Szoboszlai's penalty for Liverpool against Inter Milan was the club's latest ever winning goal scored away from home in the Champions League.

The Reds earned a 1-0 victory on Tuesday against Italian giants Inter, with the English side awarded a penalty in the closing stages after centre-back Alessandro Bastoni was adjudged to have fouled Florian Wirtz.

Midfielder Szoboszlai stepped up to convert the spot kick, netting the winner in the 88th minute (87:24), and that was their latest ever winning strike on the road in the competition.

It was also Liverpool's second-latest penalty winner in the tournament, after legend Steven Gerrard's goal on 92:29 against Ludogorets in September 2014.

While setting a new piece of Liverpool history will be pleasing to Szoboszlai, taking three points after the club failed to win five of their previous six games would have been more important to the Hungarian.

Liverpool Champions League qualification: Can Arne Slot finish in the top eight?

Liverpool end Tuesday in eighth place in the Champions League table with 12 points from six matches, though just three points separate them from 18th-placed Monaco.

In the 2024-25 edition of the tournament, 16 points were needed to finish in the top eight and automatically qualify for the round of 16.

Arne Slot's next game in the Champions League will come against Marseille in France on Jnauary 21 next year, before they then host Qarabag on January 28.

Liverpool have lost nine, drawn two and won just five of their last 15 outings in all competitions, but they undoubtedly have enough quality to secure four points from their remaining two games.

It should be noted that the Reds have been beaten in five of their last nine games on the road while only winning three times in that period, so a defeat against Marseille should not be ruled out.

Arne Slot: Has Liverpool boss shown enough to avoid sack?

Slot will be able to point to Tuesday's victory against Inter as vindication for his decision to drop Mohamed Salah from his squad, but there were still concerning signs.

The Reds are now unbeaten in their past four matches, and they have looked better defensively without the Egyptian, but they have created little in the final third.

Striker Alexander Isak failed to register a single shot in the box against Inter, while Liverpool needed Leeds United to make unforced errors before opening the scoring last Saturday.

A poor attacking performance away to Inter Milan could be viewed in isolation as understandable, but considering the team were also poor against West Ham United, Sunderland and Leeds, it appears that Slot has sacrificed his side's attack for improvements at the back.

Whether positive results will follow using such a strategy remains to be seen, and the Merseysiders are sure to be tested on the weekend against Brighton & Hove Albion.