HISTORY MADE: DOMINIK SZOBOSZLAI 'S SPOT-KICK IS LIVERPOOL'S LATEST CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AWAY GOAL
Liverpool gained a crucial win via Szoboszlai's late penalty. While defence improved without Salah, critics argue Arne Slot's strategy sacrifices the team's attack.
Dominik Szoboszlai's late penalty secured a 1-0 win for Liverpool against Inter Milan in the Champions League. It was the latest winning goal the club has ever scored away from home in the competition.
The penalty came after Alessandro Bastoni fouled Florian Wirtz late in the game. Szoboszlai converted the spot kick in the 88th minute (87:24).
This was Liverpool's second-latest penalty winner in the tournament, just behind Steven Gerrard's goal against Ludogorets in September 2014 (92:29).
For Szoboszlai, getting the three points was probably more important than making club history, as Liverpool had struggled in their previous six games, failing to win five.
Liverpool is currently eighth in the Champions League table with 12 points from six games. They are only three points away from 18th-placed Monaco.
Last year, 16 points were needed to finish in the top eight and qualify for the round of 16.
Arne Slot's next Champions League game is against Marseille in France on January 21, followed by a home game against Qarabag on January 28.
Liverpool's recent form has been mixed, with five wins, two draws, and nine losses in their last 15 games. They need to secure four points from their remaining two games.
They have struggled away from home recently, losing five of their last nine games, so a loss against Marseille is possible.
Slot can point to the Inter win as proof that benching Mohamed Salah was the right call, but there are still issues.
Liverpool are unbeaten in their last four games and have improved defensively without Salah, but their attack has suffered.
Striker Alexander Isak didn't have a single shot in the box against Inter, and Liverpool relied on mistakes from Leeds United to score last Saturday.
The poor attack against Inter Milan could be excused, but considering similar performances against West Ham United, Sunderland, and Leeds, it seems Slot has focused on defence at the expense of attack.
It remains to be seen if this strategy will work. Liverpool will face a test this weekend against Brighton & Hove Albion.
LEAGUE UPDATE: MAN UNITED’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HOPES BOOSTED BY COEFFICIENT POINTS SURGE
Manchester United move into fourth place as England's dominant UEFA coefficient makes a fifth Champions League spot almost certain.
Manchester United just got a real shot in the arm for their Champions League hopes this season. After knocking off Manchester City and Arsenal in back-to-back games, they’ve climbed into fourth place in the Premier League. It’s been a struggle for United to make the Champions League in recent years—their last run was in the 2023/24 season.
These days, finishing in the top four isn’t always enough for Premier League teams. UEFA now hands out extra spots, and it all depends on how clubs from each country perform across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.
So, how does it work? UEFA takes each league’s overall coefficient score—basically, a measure of how well their teams do in Europe—and divides it by the number of clubs they have in these competitions.
This season, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Newcastle all joined the European fight. Out of those six, only Newcastle had to go through the play-offs; the rest sailed straight into the knockouts.
Now that the Champions League group stage is done, you can really see which countries are in line for those bonus spots next year. Right now, England is out in front with 180,625 points. Germany follows with 107,000. Portugal sits in third with 14,700, and Spain is just behind on 14,375.
Here’s the key thing: the two countries whose teams rack up the best results across all three competitions this season each get a European Performance Spot—an extra Champions League place.
With England leading the pack, even a fifth-place finish in the Premier League could send United back into the Champions League instead of the Europa League. Newcastle took advantage of this last season.
If United hold onto fourth, they’re in. But there’s still a lot of football left. Interim boss Michael Carrick isn’t letting anyone get ahead of themselves—he’s already told his players to stay sharp.
Next up, United face Fulham at Old Trafford. They'll be chasing a third straight win and looking to keep Carrick’s perfect record going since he stepped in for Darren Fletcher.
JUST IN: PEP GUARDIOLA THANKS JOSE MOURINHO AFTER WILD NIGHT OF EUROPEAN DRAMA
Pep Guardiola thanks Jose Mourinho as Benfica’s last-gasp winner against Real Madrid sends City straight into the Last-16.
Pep Guardiola had a smile on his face and a message for Jose Mourinho after his old rival did him a huge favour, helping Manchester City sneak into the Champions League knockout rounds.
City took care of their own business, beating Galatasaray 2-0 at the Etihad. Haaland and Cherki got the goals, but the real drama was happening elsewhere. City’s spot in the last eight still hung in the balance because Real Madrid needed to equalise against Benfica. If they had, Guardiola’s squad would have been bumped into the play-offs instead.
That’s when Benfica’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, pulled off something wild. He left his box, charged forward for a late free kick, and scored a brilliant goal. Benfica won 4-2. That goal kept Benfica alive in the competition—and, as it turned out, saved City too.
Guardiola admitted he and his players were glued to the screen in the dressing room, completely confused when they saw Trubin running up for that last free kick. “We were all in there, watching, and none of us realised Benfica still needed a goal to qualify,” Guardiola said. “So when their keeper went up, we’re all thinking, ‘What are you doing?’ But Jose knew. It was a smart move. Finishing in the top eight, with how tough the Champions League has become, feels really good for us. Now we can focus on being at our best by March.”
Bernardo Silva didn’t hide how relieved he felt. Skipping those extra play-off games really matters, especially when you’re chasing a quadruple. “A bit of drama, but we did it. We’re very happy because we avoid two more matches,” he said. “With all the injuries we’ve got and the crazy schedule, having those two weeks free to rest, get players back, and focus on the other competitions is huge for us.”
As for Mourinho, he looked proud after Benfica’s wild finish. He’s won this tournament twice before, and he believed his side deserved to stay in. “That was a fantastic goal, a historic moment—almost blew the roof off the stadium,” Mourinho said. “Honestly, for Benfica to beat Real Madrid, that’s massive.”