Reds Advance Despite Loss, Lewandowski Smashes UCL Record
09 March, 2022
Liverpool 0-1 Inter Milan (2-1 agg.)
Liverpool edged into the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals 2-1 on aggregate after a 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan at Anfield on Tuesday in the second leg.
Thiago Alcantara, Joel Matip, Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota came into the Reds starting eleven for Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, Luis Diaz and Ibrahima Konate. Meanwhile, Inter manager Simone Inzaghi made just one change from the sides' first-leg clash with Edin Dzeko dropping out for Alexis Sanchez.
Klopp's side came ever so close to taking the lead on the half-hour mark when Trent Alexander-Arnold's corner was headed against the bar by Joel Matip. From the very next corner Virgil van Dijk's header was goalbound but Milan Skriniar came to the rescue with an interception as the ball went narrowly wide.
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Five minutes before half-time, Jota brought down Skriniar on the edge of the right-hand side of the box, for which he was yellow-carded and Hakan Calhanoglu almost caught Alisson out with the free-kick to the far post but the Brazilian shot-stopper did well to palm it to safety.Alexander-Arnold curled a free-kick just wide of the left-hand post and then Mohamed Salah struck the upright after Jota's attempt had inadvertently come his way.
Inter took the lead on the hour mark when Matip's pass was intercepted and Sanchez played the ball to Lautaro Martinez on the left-hand side of the box and the Argentine bent a sublime effort with the outside of his foot past the despairing dive of Allison and into the far corner.
However, within seconds of taking the lead, the Nerazzurri went down to ten men when Sanchez was given a second yellow card for following through on Fabinho.
Inter had fought valiantly but the dismissal of Sanchez ultimately scuppered their hopes of an upset as Inzaghi's men bowed out of the competition with their heads held high.
Bayern Munich 7-1 RB Salzburg (8-2 agg.)
Bayern Munich roared into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League with a 7-1 humiliation of RB Salzburg in the second leg.
Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann made three changes from the 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen as Manuel Neuer, Leroy Sane and Theo Hernandez returned to the starting eleven in place of Sven Ulreich, Dayot Upamecano and Omar Richards.
Bayern took the lead with 12 minutes gone. Maximilian Wober brought down Lewandowski in the box and the Pole sent Salzburg goalkeeper Philipp Kohn the wrong way with the penalty.
Eight minutes later, another penalty was awarded to the Bavarians after another clumsy challenge by Wober again on Lewandowski, who once again made no mistake from the spot as he put the ball into the same corner after fooling the keeper by checking his run.
Lewandowski secured his hat-trick as the Austrians went 3-0 down with just 23 minutes on the clock, with the striker now holding the record for the fastest treble in the tournament.
Serge Gnabry made it four with half an hour gone. Mohamed Camara was dispossessed and the ball fell to Kingsley Coman, who found Gnabry at the back and he beat Kohn at his near post when the keeper really should have kept it out.
It was becoming embarrassing for the visitors as they conceded their fifth goal ten minutes after half-time. Bayern bypassed the Salzburg midfield as Sane played in Muller, who swivelled onto his left foot and dispatched the ball into the back of the net for a superb finish.
Salzburg pulled a goal back in the Salzburg in the 70th minute after Aaronson teed up Mauritz Kjaergaard, who rifled the ball into the top corner.
Muller grabbed his brace in the 83rd minute with Sane once again the provider as Muller curled it into the far corner.
Sane got a goal to add to his two assists with Salzburg well and truly staring down the barrel. Lewandowski found himself in space on the edge of the box and played in Sane on the overlap, who hammered the ball into the roof of the net and in doing so complete the rout.
Source: www.soccerladuma.co.za
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