Inter Milan host a Liverpool side in absolute turmoil, with Mohamed Salah’s explosive comments hanging over the club like a bad smell ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash at San Siro. The Egyptian star claimed he was being “thrown under the bus” for Liverpool’s miserable form, and has hinted he could be on his way out, leaving manager Arne Slot with a bigger mess than any tactical problem.
Liverpool arrive in Italy sitting ninth in the Premier League table, ten points adrift of leaders Arsenal, and they haven’t looked like a top side for weeks. Their 3-3 draw at struggling Leeds at the weekend felt more like a defeat, and Salah’s post match rant made sure the spotlight stayed firmly on the chaos. “I think it’s clear someone wants me to get all the blame,” he said, adding the club “promised a lot” in the summer and delivered nothing. Not exactly ideal prep for a massive European tie.
Inter meanwhile have quietly got their act together in Serie A. After losing two of their first three games, Cristian Chivu’s side have put together a proper title charge and now sit second, one point behind champions Napoli. A win against Liverpool would not only put them in a strong position to reach the last 16, it might also crank up the noise around Slot’s job back in Merseyside.
The table doesn’t flatter Inter’s run. Four wins from five leaves them fourth in the Champions League ladder after five matchdays, although they head into this one on the back of a narrow 2-1 defeat at Atletico Madrid. Liverpool are down in 13th with three wins and two losses, hanging outside the qualifying spots. The Reds did beat Real Madrid at Anfield earlier this month, then got absolutely hammered 4-1 at home by PSV. Their results has been up and down, mostly down.
Salah has trained this week, but his involvement remains a mystery. Slot hasn’t ruled him in or out, which normally means he’s not sure what to do with him. Leaving out your biggest name would be a massive call, but throwing him straight back in might be asking for trouble. The Egyptian didn’t speak to the media, probably wisely.
Inter’s team news is fairly straightforward. Henrikh Mkhitaryan is back after a thigh injury and should slide into midfield, while Luis Henrique keeps his spot at right wing back. A few absentees, Darmian, Palacios and Di Gennaro, won’t change the spine of the team. Crucially, Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram will start up front again after scoring against Como.
Liverpool have injury problems of their own. Frimpong and Leoni are still sidelined, but the big debate is who leads the line: Alexander Isak or Hugo Ekitike. Ekitike hit two at Leeds while Isak finally got off the mark last week. Slot could do worse than start both, but his 4-2-3-1 barely fits one striker, let alone two.
The bad news for Liverpool fans: form doesn’t help. Inter have won four of their last five in Serie A, while Liverpool’s recent stretch reads like a funeral notice L-L-W-D-D. And with Salah heading to AFCON on 15 December and hinting he may not come back, things could get worse before they get better.
The stakes are enormous. Inter know a win practically seals qualification. Liverpool desperately need points just to stay alive in Europe, let alone salvage a dreadful season. And somewhere in the background is a superstar forward who doesn’t sound like he wants to be there anymore.
Classic Champions League drama, just not the version Liverpool wanted.
