Inter silence Salah, Mane but Liverpool seal quarter-final spot

Liverpool have secured passage to the quarterfinals of the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Italian champions Inter Milan.

The Reds held a 2-0 first-leg lead as they hosted Inter at Anfield Stadium on Tuesday night, but a Lautaro Martinez effort gave the visitors a 1-0 win on the night. 

In the process, Inter Milan became the first team to defeat Liverpool at Anfield in over a year since Fulham managed a 1-0 victory over the Reds on March 7, 2021.

Inter are also the first team to defeat Liverpool in the Champions League this season and the first team to defeat the Reds in any competition in 2022.

The Nerazzurri silenced Liverpool's attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, and Sadio Mane on the latter's 50th appearance in the Champions League, the first Senegalese player to reach that landmark.

Despite Inter Milan's victory on the night, Liverpool still secured qualification to the quarterfinals on aggregate, joining Bayern Munich in the last eight. 

This means Jurgen Klopp's unprecedented quadruple title charge remains on track with Liverpool having already won the Carabao Cup and still in the running for the Premier League, the Champions League, and the English FA Cup.

The German tactician also continues a track record of featuring in the last eight of Europe's elite club competition in four of the past five seasons, the only exception being the 2019/20 season.

Liverpool are yet to know their opponents for the Champions League quarterfinals but they face Nottingham Forest in the last eight of the FA Cup and are engaged in a title battle with Manchester City for the Premier League.

The Champions League quarterfinal draws are scheduled to take place on Friday, March 18 with the last eight ties to be played on April 5/6 (first legs) and April 12/13 (second legs).