Liverpool get something of a reprieve from what has become a horrible slog of a Premier League season when they head to Italy to take on Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.
With the situation continuing to deteriorate in Arne Slot’s second year in charge and the manager’s falling out with Mohamed Salah now dominating headlines, though, it’s hardly an ideal situation the struggling Reds find themselves in.
It’s not an easy opponent, either, with Inter one of Europe’s in form sides,
a gritty, high-scoring outfit who will be out to put an exclamation point on an early season that, in counter to Liverpool’s, has very much gone to plan.
“It’s not an easy situation, but we take it as best as we can,” said goalkeeper Alisson Becker ahead of the match, with the veteran shot stopper given the unenvious job of speaking to the press alongside Slot at the pre-match press conference.
“I’ve been playing with Mo since I came to Europe, one year in Roma and now eight years at Liverpool. He’s a great guy, a great character, he is a legend for Liverpool FC. We achieved so many things together.
“Of course, personally, it’s not something that makes me happy, but in football we don’t have too much time to stay moaning about any situation. We have a big challenge tomorrow, a big team to play against. Inter Milan are doing so well this season.”
Inter have won four of their last five games in Serie A and are just a point off the leaders while scoring both the most goals and having the best differential in Italy—in both cases nine ahead of the next best side.
In the Champions League, they’re in the mix with Arsenal, PSG, Bayern, and Real Madrid as the sides that have been locked into the top eight and in line to earn a bye through the first knockout round from the start of the 2025-26 edition.
There will be some hope perhaps an aggressive, attacking side might set up better as opponents for the Reds than the deep defences that have frustrated them in the league this year, but on paper Inter are clear favourites.
“My focus, our focus, the focus of the team is on the challenge we are going to face,” Alisson added. “We know the challenge we are facing at this moment—not performing well, not having good results. It’s been difficult for us. Those are big challenges.
“We are going to give a proper reaction, we want to give a proper reaction tomorrow—to the situation and, having due respect to Inter Milan, by trying to win the game and to deserve it by playing well.”
