Inter out-played Liverpool for long periods at San Siro, but failed to take their chances and rattled the crossbar, beaten in the final minutes by a Roberto Firmino header and Mohamed Salah strike.

This was the first time the Nerazzurri were in a Champions League knockout fixture in 10 years, but Nicolò Barella was suspended for both legs, with Joaquin Correa and Robin Gosens injured. Jurgen Klopp surprised with 18-year-old Harvey Elliott getting his Champions League debut in midfield.

Lautaro Martinez curled wide after Denzel Dumfries won it back, while Sadio Mané nodded an Andy Robertson free kick inches over the bar.

Hakan Calhanoglu was very unlucky not to open the scoring after 15 minutes, as his shot from a tricky angle smashed against the crossbar and spun away.

An audacious Mané overhead kick hit the side-netting and Calhanoglu made a decisive interception to stop Salah volleying an Elliott cross.

At the other end, Ibrahima Konate did the same to stop Edin Dzeko meeting the Dumfries ball across the face of goal, while Milan Skriniar’s header on a corner went wide and Virgil Van Dijk used his pace to cut off Dzeko clear on goal.

Inter started the second half very aggressively, Lautaro Martinez at full stretch just unable to get on the end of a Perisic cross at the back post, then Dzeko’s goal ruled offside.

Liverpool were under increasing pressure with panicked defending, so Jurgen Klopp made a triple substitution.

Dzeko saw his shot charged down by Konate from eight yards, but Skriniar had to do the same moments later on Luis Diaz.

Dzeko tried to set up Dumfries rather than go for goal and it was intercepted, on the corner Dumfries saw his header skim the crossbar.

Just as Inter were knocking hard at the door, they were caught out when Roberto Firmino’s glancing header met a Robertson corner at the near post and flicked it past Samir Handanovic.

It has happened so many times in the Champions League this season, Inter dominating for long periods and not making any of it count with goals.

Perisic fired first-time inches over the bar from the edge of the area, but once again Liverpool were lucky with Salah’s scuffed shot squirming its way through a sea of legs for 2-0.

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