Liverpool vs Inter

Liverpool lost to Inter Milan 1-0 in their Champions League round of 16 second leg on Tuesday at Anfield, but that was still enough to see the Reds advance ...

Alexis Sanchez gets the surprise start in attack and joins his fellow Chilean Arturo Vidal in the XI. So it will be Alexis and Lautaro Martinez in attack, with Edin Dzeko on the bench. It is perhaps another example of Mane regressing to the mean, which in his case is an outstanding footballer. His expected goals (xG) per 90 is 0.56, more than 20 percent higher than any of the preceding four seasons. Alexis Sanchez has not had the happiest of times on previous visits to Anfield. He never won in his time in the Premier League and last time he was here he was desperate to get out of Arsenal, 4-0 losers in August 2017. Inter have more possession (54.1 %), and they've been the more vibrant side in the early going. Goals surely to come in the second half. He seemed a little rusty after his spell on the sidelines and handed Inter a rare chance when he committed a clumsy foul late in the first half. A remarkable game for Liverpool's star forward in that the two cast-iron, surely-he-scores chances that came his way ended with the ball clattering back off both posts. Then came the dreamy pass to set up Jota for one of the best chances of the game. In possession his surprisingly swift running up the pitch forced Inter to commit fouls in dangerous spots. A crucial early header at the back post denied Lautaro Martinez what looked to be a tempting volley, setting the tone for a game of crucial late interventions. He deserves a 10/10 for aura, his mere presence forcing Lautaro to backtrack into midfield much as he had done in the first leg.