Virgil van Dijk was made to re-watch Liverpool’s controversial penalty in the 88th minute of their 1-0 win away against Inter in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, before deciding, cheekily:...
Virgil van Dijk was made to re-watch Liverpool’s controversial penalty in the 88th minute of their 1-0 win away against Inter in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, before deciding, cheekily: ‘Oh, it’s a clear penalty’.
Inter slipped to their second consecutive defeat in the Champions League on Tuesday night, conceding to an 88th-minute Dominik Szoboszlai penalty after Alessandro Bastoni was penalised for the slightest of shirt pulls on Florian Wirtz.
VAR was also called upon to rule out a 32nd-minute Ibrahima Konate header from a corner after a handball from Hugo Ekitike the touch before.
Van Dijk gives assessment of Inter 0-1 Liverpool: ‘A clear penalty’
MILAN, ITALY – DECEMBER 09: Allison Becker of Liverpool FC looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match between FC Internazionale Milano and Liverpool FC at Stadio San Siro on December 09, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Liverpool captain van Dijk spoke to Sky Sport Italia after full-time on Tuesday evening: “It’s a very difficult moment like you said, trying to find consistency, playing against a very difficult team, a team that’s in form, in Milan, so it’s good to get the three points,” he said.
Van Dijk was also asked of his impressive win record when playing away in San Siro. “I didn’t always win, I think I also had a red card against Inter when I played for Celtic,” the Liverpool captain said. “ I made my Champions League debut here, against AC Milan, it was a day I’ll never forget.”
Van Dijk was also asked what he made of the ongoing situation surrounding teammate Mohamed Salah, and whether he hopes to see the Egyptian King reinstated to the Liverpool squad.
“Mo is going to the Africa Cup (of Nations) at the weekend, for us nothing has changed,” van Dijk replied.
“We were fully focussed on tonight, beating Inter and I’m glad we did. Now we focus on Brighton and that’s the only focus we have, nothing has changed. In the dressing room, everyone was ready to fight for the badge and that’s the most important thing.”
Then, van Dijk was made to re-watch the controversial incident that led to Liverpool being awarded an 88th-minute penalty. Wirtz threw himself to the floor after the slightest of pulls from Bastoni in the area, a decision that had initially been waved away before the intervention of VAR.
“Oh it’s a clear penalty,” van Dijk said with a big smile on his face.
MILAN, ITALY – DECEMBER 09: Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool FC scores their team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match between FC Internazionale Milano and Liverpool FC at Stadio San Siro on December 09, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
“The referee gives it,” van Dijk added. “I think the goal we scored from the corner should also be (a goal), so it’s to be equal,” he concluded.
Category: General Sports
