Arne Slot has hailed one Liverpool star as “physically extraordinary” after their hard-fought win over Inter Milan.
Dominik Szoboszlai delivered in the biggest moment of the night, burying a late penalty to give Liverpool a 1–0 Champions League victory at the San Siro.
Slot was full of admiration for the midfielder, who stepped up under intense pressure to secure all three points for the Reds.
With the game locked at 0–0 and opportunities scarce — aside from a first-half Konaté goal ruled out by VAR — Liverpool were awarded a penalty in the closing minutes. VAR intervened again, this time spotting Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni tugging Florian Wirtz’s shirt, prompting referee Felix Zwayer to award the spot-kick after checking the monitor.
With regular penalty-taker Mohamed Salah absent following a controversial post-match interview after the 3–3 draw with Leeds — where he claimed he had been “thrown under a bus” and hinted at tension with Slot — the responsibility fell to Szoboszlai.
The Hungarian international showed no hesitation, calmly converting from the spot in the 88th minute. In what has been a largely disappointing season for Liverpool, Szoboszlai has emerged as a standout performer.
Speaking after the match, Slot said:
“I’ve asked a lot from him this season, playing him in multiple roles. No matter where he plays, I try to use him in the best areas of the pitch. What truly sets him apart is his incredible physical output.”
Slot highlighted Szoboszlai’s workload:
“He’s one of the few players who’s featured in four matches in the last 10 days. Maybe Ibou has done the same alongside Virgil, but centre-backs don’t cover anywhere near the same distances as midfielders. What Dominik has been doing physically is exceptional.”
Slot added that the midfielder’s composure was just as impressive as his stamina:
“It’s not easy to take your first penalty for Liverpool in the 86th minute with the score at 0–0. But he struck it with confidence. He has a powerful shot and a strong record with penalties for club and country.”
Despite Liverpool’s rocky start to the campaign, they are now unbeaten in four matches. Still, Slot urged caution:
“It’s impossible to predict what comes next. We needed the points today. We know how difficult it is to win here — Inter have been outstanding at home both in the league and Champions League.”
Slot noted the inconsistency of Liverpool’s season:
“We’ve had some incredible results — beating Arsenal, Real Madrid, Newcastle away, Aston Villa when they were on a long winning run — and yet we’ve dropped points in so many other matches. There are reasons for that, and what I’ve mentioned is part of it.”
