Mo Salah strikes as Reds down Inter

Amidst all the talk of Liverpool’s new age stars, it was two of the club’s long-time heroes that delivered a late smash and grab raid in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie against Inter Milan on Wednesday.

Goals from Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah in the last quarter of an hour gave Liverpool a commanding lead ahead of the last-16 second leg at Anfi eld, which will be played on March 8.

The result was harsh on Italian champions Inter, who dominated the contest at the San Siro for long periods after the break and struck the woodwork through Hakan Calhanoglu in the 16th minute.

However they could not fi nd their way past a Liverpool backline impeccably marshalled by Virgil van Dijk and were punished late on by a Reds team who have now won their last seven matches in all competitions.

The quarters now look a step too far for Inter after making the knockout rounds of the Champions League for the first time in a decade.

Bayern woes continue

Kingsley Coman spared Bayern Munich’s blushes as a disappointing week for the German club continued with a 1-1 draw against Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. Still reeling from Saturday’s stunning 4-2 defeat to Vfl Bochum in the Bundesliga -- wherein they are pursuing a tenth straight title -- Bayern fell behind to Chukwubuike Adamu’s fi rst-half strike.

Madrid suffer shock loss

Atletico Madrid slid to a 1-0 loss at home to Levante on Wednesday as Diego Simeone’s side blew the chance to climb back into the Champions League places in Spain. The reigning LaLiga champions failed to register a single shot on target as bottom side Levante won for only the second time in 24 games this season courtesy of Gonzalo Melero’s second-half goal.