Who: Inter Milan vs Liverpool
Content: UEFA Champions League – League Phase, Matchday 6
Location: San Siro Stadium, Milan, Italy
Date and time: Tuesday 9pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: Get everything ready on Al Jazeera Sports from 17:00 GMT ahead of the live text commentary stream.
Liverpool, host to in-form Inter Milan, are struggling in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) on Tuesday as superstar Mohamed Salah has threatened to leave the club, as the Reds’ dominant defense continues to deteriorate as they aim to win the Premier League.
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Liverpool currently sit ninth in the domestic league table, 10 points behind leaders Arsenal, but team morale suffered further after Salah’s comments to the media accused him of “throwing the club under the bus” after a 3-3 draw with bottom side Leeds United at the weekend.
Inter bounced back from a slow start to the Serie A football season, losing two of their first three games, and are back in contention for the title. The Nerazzurri currently sit second in the table, just one point behind reigning champions Napoli after 14 matches.
For Inter manager Cristian Chivu, a win against Liverpool at the San Siro could see the Italian mega-club qualify directly for the last 16 of the Champions League.
Where do Inter and Liverpool sit in the Champions League standings?
After 5 out of 8 matches so far, Inter are in 4th place in the standings with a record of 4 wins and 1 loss. They were undefeated in this competition until they suffered a 2-1 defeat in the final match against Atlético Madrid on November 26th.
Liverpool currently sit in 13th place with three wins and two losses, falling outside of the top eight required for automatic qualification to the next tournament. The Reds defeated 15-time UCL champions Real Madrid 1-0 on 4 November, but in their last game on 26 November they humiliated Dutch side PSV 4-1 at Anfield.
Will Mo Salah play against Inter?
At this stage, it is unclear whether Salah will be included in Liverpool’s squad for the Reds’ trip to Inter Milan.
Salah trained with the club at Liverpool’s AXA training center on Monday ahead of his trip to Italy, but it remains to be seen whether manager Arne Slott will choose to exclude him from the squad. He did not speak to the media.
On Saturday, the 33-year-old said he had been “thrown under the bus” after storming into the club over his medical treatment and hinting he could leave after watching the three-game draw with Leeds from the bench.
In incendiary comments after the match, the Egyptian international slammed the club and manager Slott, telling journalists he felt he had been made a scapegoat after a poor start to the season and hinted he might not remain at Anfield for long.
“To be fair, it’s very, very disappointing. I’ve done a lot for this club. Over the years, especially last season, that’s clear for everyone to see,” Salah told reporters in the mixed zone after the match, before criticizing the club’s leadership.
“I don’t know, but it feels like the club is throwing me under the bus. That’s how I feel, how I feel.
“I think it’s clear that someone is trying to put all the blame on me. The club promised me in the summer… a lot of promises, but so far nothing.”
Salah, who will play for Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on December 15, added: “We don’t know what will happen right now so before we go to the Africa Cup I will go to Anfield and say goodbye to the fans. You never know what will happen when you are there.”
When was the last time Inter and Liverpool played?
The last match between both teams was on March 8, 2022. The two teams met in the second leg of the last-16 Champions League, and although Liverpool lost 1-0 at Anfield, they won the first leg 2-0 at the San Siro on 16 February and advanced to the quarter-finals of the tournament (2-1 on aggregate).
When was the last time Inter and Liverpool won the Champions League?
Liverpool defeated fellow English club Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 to win the 2019 title.
Inter last won the trophy in 2010, beating Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final to complete the treble, a feat never before achieved by any Italian or German team.
direct confrontation
The two-decker clubs have met six times in their history.
Liverpool currently hold a 4-2 advantage over the Nerazzurri in their all-time head-to-head record.
Inter Milan team news
Former Manchester United and Arsenal star Henrikh Mkhitaryan is expected to make his long-awaited return to the starting lineup, replacing Piotr Zielinski in the central midfield role after a month out with a thigh injury.
Talented Brazilian Luis Enrique, who plays as right wing-back in Chivu’s 3-5-2 formation, is likely to remain in the line-up after starting against Como on Saturday.
Mateo Darmian, Tomas Palacios and goalkeeper Raffaele Di Gennaro are all absent due to injury.
Lautaro Martínez and strike partner Marcus Thuram both scored against Como and will again start up front against Liverpool.
Inter Milan projected starting lineup (3-5-2):
Sommer (goalkeeper); Akanji, Bisek, Bastoni. Enrique, Zielinski, Barella, Calhanoglu, Dimarco. Thuram, Martinez
liverpool team news
There has been no official statement from the team regarding whether Salah will travel to Italy with the team. Slott will address the issue at his pre-match press conference in Milan on Tuesday.
Jeremy Frimpong and Giovanni Leoni remain sidelined due to injury.
For the Liverpool manager, the big question remains who will play the sole striker role up front: Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike.
Ekitike made his comeback against Leeds on Saturday, scoring two goals. Record-setting Isak scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool against West Ham on November 30 and is now healthy and keen to add to his tally.
Liverpool’s projected starting lineup (4-2-3-1):
Alisson (goalkeeper); Bradley, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson. Graven Birch, Jones. Szoboschlei, Wirtz, Chiesa. Isaac
past 5 games
Inter Milan: WWWWW (Latest results last, Serie A matches only)
Liverpool: LLWDD (Latest results last, Premier League matches only)
