Inter Win Sparks Debate on Isak as Liverpool Edge Champions League Clash

Liverpool’s 1–0 win over Inter in the Champions League created relief rather than celebration, and Post Match Raw captured the mood perfectly. With Trev Downey hosting, and contributors Dave Hendrick and Guy Drinkel offering a mix of frustration, analysis and weary optimism, the panel dug into everything from the soft penalty, to Inter’s ageing legs, to Alexander Isak’s ongoing struggle to impose himself in a Liverpool shirt.

Isak Frustrations Take Centre Stage

Isak dominated the early discussion for all the wrong reasons. Trev summed up the issue bluntly, saying the “only thing that really sort of got my goal on a regular basis was the spectacular ineptitude of Alex Isak” adding “it continues to be real in a Liverpool shirt.” Guy followed up with the wry observation that “his twin brother who looks like me out there, um, it’s not it’s not ideal, is it?”

Trev pushed the point further, noting that the forward “losing the ball weakly repeatedly” dragged Liverpool “back into the bigger malaise… about like what’s he being told to do and why are we not servicing him in the way that we know that will bring the best out of him.”

Guy added context around the striker’s role, explaining that it was “his first time playing in a front two since his first year at Newcastle… So that’s something slightly different” and “he kind of dropped deeper than he was or has been in his performances for Liverpool so far.”

And yet, expectation looms large. Guy reminded listeners that “we spent 120 mil on him… it’s nearly Christmas you know.”

Inter Challenge Broken Down by Hendrick

The panel were aligned on one thing: Inter remain a strong but ageing opponent. Trev called them “a pretty good looking Inter Milan side who I know like challenging for the title in Serie A.” Dave expanded on that, describing them as “a decent team for sure… last season’s beaten Champions League finalists” while also noting that “that is an old team… their average age I think tonight was 31.”

The win therefore carried more weight than the performance itself. Trev described Liverpool’s display accurately: “was it a good watch? No, it wasn’t a good watch… But what we were was we were disciplined, we were professional, and we were winners on the night.”

Dave agreed, summing it up as “a professional disciplined performance… away from home in Europe.”

The controversial disallowed goal added fury to the analysis. Trev highlighted the “five minutes plus… monitor nonsense” and quoted the assessment that UEFA “simply doesn’t like a touch on the arm which creates a goal situation.” Dave cut straight through the noise, declaring “it’s a laughable decision Trev… they’ve manufactured a reason not to give the goal.”

Bradley and Wirtz Shift Momentum Late On

One of the most positive takeaways was the impact of Liverpool’s young substitutes. Guy described Connor Bradley as adding “directness… and their leftand side couldn’t really deal with him” while noting that Florian Wirtz “was kind of much more of a pivot player for us… stuff was happening and people were reacting to him having the ball.”

Trev echoed that improvement, saying the pair created “a definite sort of surge of energy.”

That rising tempo eventually led to the decisive moment, with Trev describing the penalty call: “Dom strikes the penalty brilliantly to Sommer’s right.” Referee management became part of the narrative too, with Trev praising the late game management as “doing cynical stuff in the right moments.”

Champions League Path Remains Tight

The win matters, but qualification remains far from certain. Dave broke down the scenario with forensic detail, warning “I don’t think four is going to be enough because our goal difference is poor.” Guy agreed that while the win was vital, “we still have to win games… we need to start showing signs of improvement.”