Liverpool walked into the San Siro without Mohamed Salah and still walked out with all three points, grinding out a 1-0 win over Inter Milan that said far more about mentality and structure than scorelines and swagger.
A Statement Win Without Salah
Liverpool’s victory came in the Champions League group stage, with new boss
Arne Slot passing his first major European test away to one of Italy’s giants.
Despite missing talisman
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool produced a disciplined, mature performance built on control and resilience.
Slot later admitted he was particularly
pleased with Liverpool’s mentality against Inter, highlighting how his side stayed concentrated, compact, and patient in a tight game at the San Siro.
How the Match Played Out
This was not a chaotic, end-to-end classic. It was a
tactical slow burn.
- Inter tried to impose themselves at home but struggled to carve out truly clear chances against Liverpool’s shape.
- Liverpool, while not at their explosive attacking best, managed the tempo and took their key moment when it arrived.
According to ESPN’s match report, Liverpool
“brushed off the absence of Mohamed Salah” to claim a narrow but deserved 1-0 win, underlining the depth and adaptability of Slot’s squad.
Slot’s Liverpool: Pragmatic, Not Flashy
What stood out most was the
pragmatism:
- Slot’s side was
well-drilled defensively, limiting Inter’s space between the lines and forcing them wide.
- The press was more controlled than chaotic – Liverpool picked their moments rather than pressing recklessly.
- In possession, they didn’t overcommit, respecting Inter’s counter-attacking threat.
Slot’s post-match comments reflected that focus on mentality and structure rather than spectacle, praising how his players handled a difficult away environment and stayed switched on from first whistle to last.
What This Means for Liverpool
This result sends a few clear messages:
-
Liverpool can win big Champions League nights without Salah. That’s huge psychologically for the rest of the squad.
- Slot’s game model is clearly
bedding in quickly, especially in terms of attitude and defensive organisation.
- In a tight group, an away win at the San Siro is the kind of result that can
define qualification later on.
It also strengthens Slot’s hand in any broader squad or power dynamics: delivering results in Europe, under strength, buys a manager serious credibility.
What It Says About Inter
For Inter, this was a reality check:
- At home, in a loud San Siro, they
struggled to break down a top-level, well-organised side.
- The performance wasn’t disastrous, but it lacked a cutting edge – something that could haunt them if head-to-head records come into play in the group.
They are still very much alive in the competition, but dropping points at home shifts pressure onto their remaining fixtures.
Why This Inter–Liverpool Clash Matters
Inter vs Liverpool is quietly becoming one of those
modern European measuring-stick fixtures:
- For Liverpool, it’s a barometer of how far Slot’s rebuild has come.
- For Inter, it’s a test of whether their domestic strength translates into Europe against Premier League opposition.
This latest chapter may not have been a goal-fest, but it was
high-level, high-stakes football — the kind that exposes details: mentality, structure, adaptability. On the night, Liverpool simply got more of those details right.
Sources
1. Arne Slot was pleased with Liverpool's mentality against Inter Milan
2. Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool (10 Dec, 2025) Game Analysis
