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'A bit soft' - Do you agree with Martin Keown's verdict on Florian Wirtz penalty decision in Liverpool's Champions League win over Internazionale?
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Updated 10/12/2025 at 08:34 GMT
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Florian Wirtz won a late penalty as Liverpool snatched a 1-0 victory at Internazionale in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night – but was it the correct call? Those in the TNT Sports studio felt it was soft. Dominik Szoboszlai converted the spot-kick as Arne Slot's side snatched the points at the San Siro. Have your say on whether it was the correct decision in our poll below.
Should Liverpool have had a penalty? Pundits have their say
Video credit: TNT Sports
Make your own mind up whether you agree with Martin Keown’s assessment on Alessandro Bastoni’s shirt-pull on Liverpool forward Florian Wirtz.
Liverpool travelled to Italy to face Internazionale in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night as Arne Slot’s men looked to arrest a run of poor form, and get past the distraction caused by Mohammed Salah’s dramatic outburst last weekend.
The Merseyside giants were coming off the back of a disappointing 3-3 home draw with Leeds United in the Premier League, and had also elected not to bring Salah with them to the clash with Inter.
The pressure was on Liverpool to stay in with a chance of automatic qualification for the knockout round against a side that had not lost at home in Europe for three years, and they ultimately secured a victory thanks to a controversial refereeing decision.
Dominik Szoboszlai converted an 88th-minute penalty for all three points, courtesy of a spot-kick won by Wirtz.
The German playmaker had his shirt tugged by Inter defender Bastoni, and both Keown and fellow pundit Robbie Savage felt the penalty might have been a little soft to award, as the player fell to the ground in dramatic fashion.
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However, Keown pointed out that Bastoni had indeed pulled the shirt of the player and felt he deserved some criticism.
"If you're actually working with Bastoni, if you're the defensive coach, you're saying: 'Why are you doing it? Why are you pulling his shirt?'" Keown said.
"Just don't give them the opportunity to go down. We know it's a bit soft, but it's a penalty. He shouldn't be pulling his shirt. It's just not necessary."
You can have your say on whether you think the referee got the decision right, or whether Liverpool were given a lucky break late on in Milan.
Keown: Salah ‘got things wrong'
Keown was also ready to praise Liverpool and Slot for the win, which took some of the focus away from the chaos that was caused by Salah’s recent interview. TNT pundits Glenn Hoddle and Owen Hargreaves were certainly not impressed by the outburst.
"He [Slot] has not allowed a major situation to de-rail his preparation, his team," Keown said.
"The most important thing is not about one individual. It's always going to be about the club itself. I think it's like, 'Okay, he's one of our all-time greats, so we're going to handle this in a polite way'.
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'That's our job' - Szoboszlai on putting aside media frenzy to get result
Video credit: TNT Sports
"It's been dealt with internally. I was surprised yesterday, actually, to see him taking part in a warm-up training session.
"It looks like they've already gone past that hurdle of integrating him back in to a certain extent, but I think they did the right and proper thing, leaving him at home. How soon they bring him back is the next question. It's only one game available.
"I wouldn't like to see it end in this way, a player of his calibre leaving for one moment of emotion where he got things wrong."
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