Two late goals in the first leg at Inter have put Liverpool well on the way to a fourth Uefa Champions League quarterfinal appearance in five seasons.
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Substitute Roberto Firmino headed a 75th-minute opener at San Siro on 16 February before Mohamed Salah added a second eight minutes later, making it seven wins from seven matches in this season's competition for Liverpool and leaving Inter needing to win in England for only the second time in their history.
Inter are in the Uefa Champions League knockout rounds for the 11th time but the first in 10 years, having finished runners-up to Real Madrid in group D, while Liverpool became the first English club to win all six games in a Uefa Champions League section as they ended group B 11 points clear.
This is one of two ties in the 2021-22 Uefa Champions League round of 16, along with Benfica-Ajax, to bring together two former European Cup winners, although this is only these sides' sixth competitive fixture.
Previous Meetings
The most recent of the sides' two ties before this season came at this stage of the 2007-08 Uefa Champions League, Liverpool winning 3-0 on aggregate.
Late strikes from Dirk Kuyt (85) and Steven Gerrard (90) earned the home side a 2-0 win at Anfield on 19 February 2008, with Fernando Torres' 64th-minute effort for the visitors the only goal of the San Siro return on 11 March.
Liverpool went on to lose 4-3 on aggregate to Chelsea in the semifinals.
Inter had recovered from a first-leg deficit to progress at Liverpool's expense in the 1964-65 European Cup semifinals en route to retaining the trophy. Roger Hunt's fourth-minute opener at Anfield was cancelled out by Sandro Mazzola six minutes later before Ian Callaghan (34) and Ian St. John (75) gave the home side the win.
The Italian side were level on aggregate ten minutes into the San Siro return through Mario Corso (8) and Joaquín Peiró (9) before Giancinto Facchetti settled the tie on the hour.
Inter went on to beat Benfica 1-0 in the final, also at San Siro, to claim the second of their three European Cups.
Form guide
Liverpool
The Reds have played their last two European games at San Siro, having won 2-1 against Inter's city rivals AC Milan on matchday six to conclude their perfect group B campaign. Liverpool had opened with a 3-2 win at home to Milan before beating Porto (5-1 a, 2-0 h) and Atlético de Madrid (3-2 a, 2-0 h).
Liverpool are one of three teams who won all six group games this season, along with Ajax (Group C) and Bayern München (E), although they are the only one of the three who were also victorious in the round of 16 first leg. Milan(1992-93), Paris Saint-Germain (1994-95), Spartak Moskva (1995-96), Barcelona (2002-03), Real Madrid (2011-12,2014-15) and Bayern (2019-20) have all previously recorded six wins from six in a UEFA Champions League group stage, although only Bayern went on to lift the trophy.
This season was Liverpool's 14th Uefa Champions League group appearance; they have only failed to progress to the last 16 or further three times.
This is Liverpool's fifth successive campaign in the Uefa Champions League proper, all under Jürgen Klopp;runners-up to Real Madrid in the 2017/18 final, they claimed their sixth European Cup at the expense of Tottenham with a 2-0 victory in the 2018-19 final.
Liverpool's last two Uefa Champions League campaigns have ended in defeat against clubs from Madrid. Dethroned by Atlético in the 2019-20 round of 16 (0-1 a, 2-3 h aet), they lost to Real Madrid in last season's quarterfinals (1-3 a, 0-0 h).
Klopp's side had finished first in group D on 13 points, ahead of Atalanta, Ajax and Midtjylland, before beating Leipzig 2-0 in both legs of their round of 16 tie with both games played in Budapest.
The Merseyside club are in the round of 16 for the fifth season in a row and the tenth overall; their record is W7 L2. Both defeats have come as holders, against Benfica in 2005-06 (0-1 a, 0-2 h) and Atlético two seasons ago.
Champions of England for the 19th time in 2019-20, their first league title since 1990, Liverpool finished third in the 2020-21 Premier League.
Liverpool have won six of their last eight Uefa Champions League matches at Anfield (D1 L1).
The Reds' record at home against Italian teams is W9 D1 L5; they have lost three of the last eight (W4 D1), including a 2-0 matchday four defeat by Atalanta last season.
Liverpool's overall record in two-legged knockout ties against Italian clubs in Uefa competition is W5 L2. They have won the last four, most recently against Roma in the 2017-18 Uefa Champions League semifinals (5-2 h, 2-4 a).
Liverpool have met Italian clubs in four European Cup finals, winning two (against Roma in 1984 and Milan in 2005) and losing two (against Juventus in 1985 and Milan in 2007).
Liverpool have won all 34 of the Uefa competition ties in which they won the away first leg – losing only four of those second legs but still prevailing on aggregate. The Reds have won 2-0 in the away first leg on five previous occasions in Uefa competition, including against Leipzig in last season's round of 16 (2-0 h). That was their third second-leg home win after a 2-0 away success, although they suffered 1-0 home second-leg losses against both Roma in the 2000-01 Uefa Cup fourth round and Grazer AK in the 2004-05 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round; on both occasions they went on to lift the trophy.
Liverpool's record in five Uefa penalty shootouts is W4 L1:
4-2 v Roma, 1983-84 European Champion Clubs' Cup final
3-2 v AC Milan, 2004-05 Uefa Champions League final
4-1 v Chelsea, 2006-07 Uefa Champions League semi-final
4-5 v Besiktas, 2014-15 Uefa Europa League round of 325-4 v Chelsea, 2019 Uefa Super Cup
Inter
The Nerazzurri took only one point from their first two group D games, losing 1-0 at home to Real Madrid on matchday one, but two 3-1 wins against Moldova's Sheriff and a 2-0 victory at home to Shakhtar Donetsk in the penultimate round of matches were enough to secure progress despite a closing 2-0 loss in Madrid.
Despite victories against Sheriff on matchdays three and four and Shakhtar on matchday five, Inter have still won only six of their last 23 Uefa Champions League matches (D7 L10).
The 3-1 Matchday 4 victory at Sheriff is one of only three wins in Inter's last 11 away Uefa Champions League games (D2 L6).
Inter are the last Italian team to win the Uefa Champions League, in 2010 – their third European Cup triumph, and first in 45 years.
Inter's record in the round of 16 is W4 L4, with four defeats in their last six ties.
This season was the 15th time Inter took part in the group stage and the fourth in a row having missed out for six consecutive years between 2011/12 and 2018/19.
Inter's previous three Uefa Champions League campaigns ended in the group stage; they last progressed in 2011-12, when they were beaten by Marseille on away goals in the round of 16 (0-1 a, 2-1 h). Last season, Antonio Conte's side won only one of their six games to finish fourth in group B on six points.
The Nerazzurri responded to that early European exit by finishing first in Serie A, 12 points above runners-up Milan; it was their first title in 11 years and their 19th overall.
Conte left Inter in the summer to be replaced as coach by Simone Inzaghi, who moved to Milan after guiding Lazio to the 2020-21 Uefa Champions League round of 16.
The first leg of this tie was Inter's first game against an English club since the 2018-19 group stage, when they beat Tottenham 2-1 at home before a 1-0 loss in north London. Christian Eriksen, later of Inter, scored both of Spurs' goals in those contests.
That meant the Nerazzurri have lost on six of their last seven visits to England (W1), including each of the last four.Their overall record in the country is W4 D1 L11.
Inter's last two-legged knockout contests against an English side came in the 2012-13 Uefa Europa League round of 16, when they lost on away goals to Tottenham (0-3 a, 4-1 h aet). That made the Nerazzurri's aggregate record in those ties W6 L5.
Inter have won three of the eight Uefa competition ties in which they have lost the first leg at home, beating TPS Turku in the 1987-88 Uefa Cup second round (0-1 h, 2-0 a), Lyon in the 1997-98 Uefa Cup second round (1-2 h, 3-1a) and, as holders, Bayern in the 2010-11 Uefa Champions League round of 16 (0-1 h, 3-2 a, won on away goals), although in the latter campaign they lost in the next round to Schalke (2-5 h, 1-2 a) – the last time they lost a first leg in Milan. This is the first time they have lost a home first leg by a two-goal margin.
Inter's record in four Uefa penalty shootouts is W2 L2:
5-4 v Celtic, 1971-72 European Champion Clubs' Cup semi final
3-4 v Aston Villa, 1994-95 Uefa Cup first round
5-3 v Grazer AK, 1996-97 Uefa Cup second round
1-4 v Schalke, 1996-97 Uefa Cup final
Links and trivia
Robin Gosens scored Atalanta's second goal in a 2-0 win at Liverpool in the 2020-21 Uefa Champions League group stage.
Have played in Italy:
Alisson Becker (Roma 2016–18)
Mohamed Salah (Fiorentina 2015 loan, Roma 2015–17)
Salah faced Inter five times during his time in Italy, winning three and scoring the only goal for Fiorentina at San Siro in 2014-15.
Thiago Alcántara was born in Italy, where his father Mazinho was playing in 1991.
Have played in England:
Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal 2014–18, Manchester United 2018–19)
Edin Džeko (Manchester City 2011–15)
Andrea Ranocchia (Hull City loan 2017)
Matteo Darmian (Manchester United 2015–19)
Felipe Caceido (Manchester City 2008–09)
Sánchez faced Liverpool nine times in England, winning twice (D4 L3) and scoring two goals.
Džeko scored three goals in 11 games against Liverpool in all competitions for City, adding two more for Roma in the 2017-18 Uefa Champions League semifinals.
International teammates:
Virgil van Dijk & Stefan de Vrij, Denzel Dumfries (Netherlands)
Thiago converted in the shootout as Nicolò Barella's Italy beat Spain on penalties in the Uefa Euro 2020 semifinals on 6 July 2021. The Azzurri defeated England in the final with Jordan Henderson coming on as a substitute, by which time Barella had already been replaced.
Have played together:
Alisson Becker & Edin Džeko (Roma 2016–18)
Thiago Alcántara & Alexis Sánchez (Barcelona 2011–13)
Thiago Alcántara & Ivan Perišic (Bayern München 2019-20)
James Milner & Edin Džeko (Manchester City 2011–15)
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain & Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal 2014–17)
Andy Robertson & Andrea Ranocchia (Hull City 2017)
Liverpool goalkeeping coach Cláudio Taffarel played in Italy with Parma (1990–93, 2001–03) and Reggiana (1993-94).
Latest News
Liverpool
• Uefa Champions League squad changes
In: Luis Díaz (Porto)
Out: Nathaniel Phillips (Bournemouth, loan)
Sadio Mané's next appearance in the Uefa Champions League group stage to final, will be his 50th.
The Reds are unbeaten in their last 15 matches in all competitions (W12 D3), beating West Ham 1-0 at Anfield on Saturday for their 600th Premier League victory.
Trent Alexander-Arnold set up Mané's winner at the weekend, his 16th assist of the season in all competitions – his best ever total.
Virgil van Dijk is unbeaten in his 60 Premier League games at Anfield for Liverpool (W52 D8), a new competition record for most home games for a single club without ever losing.
Liverpool recorded their biggest win of the season on 23 February, beating Leeds 6-0 at Anfield in the Premier League.
A 1-0 Premier League loss at Leicester on 28 December is Liverpool's only defeat in their last 26 games in all competitions (W20 D5).
Jürgen Klopp's side have suffered only two defeats in their 27 Premier League games this season (W19 D6), winning their last seven league matches.
Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 28 home matches in all competitions (W21 D7), since a 1-0 loss against Fulham on 7 March 2021 – their sixth successive home defeat.
On 27 February Liverpool won the League Cup for the record ninth time, beating Chelsea 11-10 on penalties at Wembley after a goalless 120 minutes.
The Reds had been level with Manchester City on eight League Cup wins.
Aged 36 years 54 days, James Milner became the oldest player to represent Liverpool at Wembley in the final, beating Kenny Dalglish's record (36 years 32 days). Harvey Elliott, aged 18 years 329 days, was the club's youngest Wembley player and the first 18-year-old to appear for Liverpool in a major final.
The goalless draw against Chelsea ended Liverpool's nine-match winning run.
The Merseyside side have managed nine clean sheets in their last 13 games, and six in the last eight.• Liverpool have also reached the FA Cup quarterfinals with home wins against lower-league sides Shrewsbury (4-1)and Cardiff (3-1) before a 2-1 success at Anfield against fellow Premier League side Norwich in the last 16 on 2 March. They will visit either Nottingham Forest or Huddersfield, both of the Championship, in the last eight on 19/20 March.
Takumi Minamino got both goals against Norwich, making it nine for Liverpool this season – seven of them in the domestic cups.
Mohamed Salah has four goals in his last five Liverpool games.
Salah scored his 150th Liverpool goal in a 3-1 comeback win at home to Norwich in the Premier League on 19 February. His double against Leeds four days later took him up to ninth in the club's all-time scoring charts. Salah is the Premier League's top scorer this season on 19 goals. Diogo Jota and Mané are joint second on 12. January signing Luis Díaz got his first goal for Liverpool in that league win against Norwich.
Mané has scored four times in his last five appearances for the Reds, including the winner at the weekend. Roberto Firmino has not played since the first leg against Inter due to a groin injury.
Thiago Alcántara has been out since 23 February with a tight hamstring.
Joël Matip missed the weekend win due to illness.
Jota was out between 16 and 27 February with an ankle problem.
The first leg at Inter was the 800th club appearance of Milner's career.
Inter
• UEFA Champions League squad changes
In: Robin Gosens (Atalanta, loan), Felipe Caicedo (Genoa, loan)
Out: Aleksandar Kolarov, Stefano Sensi (Sampdoria, loan)
On Friday, Inter ended a run of five games without a win in all competitions (D3 L2) in style with a 5-0 home victory against Salernitana in Serie A. They had not scored in their previous four matches.
Lautaro Martínez's 22nd-minute opener ended a run of 425 minutes without a goal in all competitions for the Nerazzurri; the Argentinian forward went on to score a hat-trick, his second for Inter. His second goal was his 50th in Serie A.
Martínez had not scored in Serie A since another 5-0 win against Salernitana on 17 December. His hat-trick on Friday ended a run of eight league games without a goal; he had registered six in his previous five.
Edin Džeko scored Inter's fourth and fifth goals on Friday, his first strikes in five matches.
Four days after losing 2-0 at home against Liverpool in the first leg, Inter suffered another home defeat by the same scoreline, against Sassuolo in Serie A.
That was also their second consecutive home defeat in Serie A after going down 2-1 against AC Milan on 5 February. Inter had not lost consecutive home league games since May 2018.
The defeat by Sassuolo stretched Inter's run without a Serie A victory to three games for the first time since they registered three consecutive draws in January 2020.
That soon became four as Inter were held to a goalless draw at Genoa on 25 February. The last time Inter went four league games without a win was a seven-match run between December 2017 and February 2018.
Victory also eluded Inter in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal against city rivals Milan on 1 March, the game ending 0-0. The return leg, with Inter as the nominal home side, will be played on 20 April.
The Nerazzurri still have the best attack in Serie A with 60 goals. They struck an average of 2.6 goals per game in the first half of the season, but have only scored 11 in their last eight Serie A games, five of them on Friday.
Inter won 32 Serie A games in 2021, one fewer than Juventus's record set in 2016. Nineteen of Inter's victories came at home, behind only Juve (2016) and Torino (1948), who both managed 20.
Inter's final tally of 104 Serie A strikes in 2021 was the first time in their history they had scored more than a century of goals in a calendar year. Only Milan and Torino (both twice) and Juventus had previously managed 100 or more Serie A goals in a single year.
A 0-0 draw at Atalanta on 16 January ended Inter's run of scoring in 39 successive Serie A games; they had last drawn a blank against Udinese on 23 January 2021, another goalless draw.
Joaquín Correa came on as a substitute in the cup draw with Milan, his first appearance since the 0-0 draw against Atalanta on 16 January due to a thigh injury.
January signings Felipe Caicedo and Robin Gosens have both recovered from their thigh injuries. Caicedo made his Inter debut as a late substitute against Genoa while Gosens came on in the closing stages of the Coppa Italia derby against Milan. The latter made another substitute appearance against Salernitana on Friday, when Caicedo remainedon the bench.
On 11 January the Nerazzurri lifted the Italian Super Cup by beating Juventus 2-1 after extra time, Alexis Sánchez scoring a last-minute winner. It was the first time they had lifted the trophy since 2010.