The Liverpool player went down after sensing the shirt pull, though his protest was initially dismissed. However, referee Felix Zwayer was directed to review the pitchside monitor to assess whether the shirt pull merited a penalty.

     

The match official determined it did and pointed to the spot. Szoboszlai then coolly dispatched an emphatic penalty past Inter keeper Yann Sommer. UEFA promptly offered its justification for the official's decision.

Their statement read: "VAR review complete. Decision overturned: penalty awarded. Penalty - foul. Inter's player, No. 95, pulled an opponent from the back."

A penalty was given to Liverpool for this challenge on Wirtz

A penalty was given to Liverpool for this challenge on Wirtz(Image: Getty Images)

Shearer suggested that the Inter squad would be "fuming" with the decision, while former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg offered his expert opinion on the matter. The Newcastle-based ex-official stated: "It was a shi

rt pull.

Liverpool put their woes to one side in Milan with a crucial win, both for their on-field and off-field issues.

The Mohamed Salah situation is likely to rumble on over the coming days and into the Egyptian’s appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations – a tournament we will also cover live here on Al Jazeera Sport – but for this evening, the Reds have a crucial three points on the road.

Inter will lick their wounds from what they will see as a soft penalty at the end, but also from a below-par performance from a side that reached the final of this competition last season.

Please join us on Wednesday for more live coverage of the Champions League if you can, and stay tuned to Al Jazeera Sport for all our latest news and features from the world of Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai scored an 88th-minute penalty to give his side a 1-0 win at Inter Milan in the Champions League, which boosts their hopes of a top-eight finish and direct qualification for the last 16.

With the shadow of absent forward Mohamed Salah’s recent falling out with head coach Arne Slot still hanging over them, Liverpool thought they had taken the lead through a close-range header from Ibrahima Konate, but a lengthy VAR review saw the goal chalked off for a Hugo Ekitike handball moments before.

The Premier League side had plenty of possession but struggled to create shots on target, and it took Alessandro Bastoni pulling the shirt of substitute Florian Wirtz late on, and the referee pointing to the spot after another VAR review, to give them the chance they desperately needed.

Szoboszlai stepped up and slammed the ball past keeper Yann Sommer to lift his side to eighth place in the table on 12 points after six of their eight group games. Inter are in fifth place, also on 12 points, but with a superior goal difference.sport.