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Liverpool clinched a crucial 1-0 Champions League victory against Inter Milan at the San Siro on Tuesday, keeping the team's hopes of automatic knockout qualification alive with two matches left in the current stage.
While Inter was left fuming over the decision to award a late penalty, Arne Slot and his team celebrated Dominik Szoboszlai's strike from 12 yards. Crucially, this win pushed Liverpool's tally to 12 points out of a possible 18 in the Champions League so far.
"The penalty did look soft, but that's given anywhere else on the pitch," Liverpool defender Robertson told Amazon Prime when asked about the spot kick.
Speaking to the same platform, Inter's Henrikh Mkhitaryan added: "I don't know how they came up with a penalty that never existed, but this is football. We are not happy. If you give a penalty like this, then every contact in the box is a penalty."
Former Inter midfielder Clarence Seedorf also told Amazon Prime: "The defender should not do that, it wasn't needed at all, but definitely a light decision."
The Reds will face Marseille away and host Qarabag in their final two games in January 2026, which will decide if they can secure the top-eight finish needed for automatic progression into the knockout stages.
How many points does Liverpool need to make top eight?
This can only be definitively determined once all eight rounds have been played. However, as a reliable benchmark, last season saw teams needing 16 points to automatically qualify for the knockouts.
Therefore, the Reds may need just four more points - equivalent to one victory and one draw - to reach the last 16.
Predicted top eight for this season
Opta's Analyst has made predictions for the final Champions League table.
- Arsenal - 22 points
- Bayern Munich - 19 points
- PSG - 18 points
- Real Madrid - 17 points
- Atalanta - 16 points
- Liverpool - 16 points
- Man City - 16 points
- Atletico Madrid - 15 points
It forecasts Liverpool to amass 16 points and finish in sixth place, with 15 points being the lowest requirement.
What happens if Liverpool fails to secure a top-eight finish?
Should the Reds end up anywhere between ninth and 24th place, they would need to navigate a two-legged playoff to reach the Champions League knockout stages.
This would add two more fixtures - one at home and one away - to Slot's team's already packed February schedule.
However, as Paris Saint-Germain demonstrated last season, this scenario doesn't necessarily spell disaster.
PSG breezed through the playoff round, ousted Liverpool in the round of 16, and ultimately clinched the tournament title.
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