Liverpool edged Inter Milan 1-0 in the Champions League league phase, but the narrow win did little to silence criticism of Alexander Isak.
With Mohamed Salah absent, Arne Slot’s side produced another uninspiring display at the San Siro. Their struggles in front of goal continued, and although Ibrahima Konaté briefly thought he had opened the scoring, the effort was chalked off after Virgil van Dijk’s header struck Hugo Ekitike’s arm in the build-up.
Despite starting alongside Ekitike, Isak failed to influence the game, drawing heavy backlash from fans online. The Swedish striker arrived from Newcastle for a British-record £125 million plus add-ons, but his return of two goals and one assist in 14 appearances has left supporters frustrated.
His performance on Tuesday did little to change that perception. Liverpool were ultimately bailed out by a late, controversial penalty awarded after Alessandro Bastoni was ruled to have fouled Florian Wirtz—who had replaced Isak just minutes earlier. Dominik Szoboszlai converted from the spot to seal the win, moving Liverpool up to eighth in the 36-team league standings.
Fans, however, did not spare Isak from criticism.
One supporter wrote: “I hope Isak eventually comes good, but right now he looks like an expensive mistake. We needed a right winger, not another No. 9.”
Another said: “It’s been long enough—Isak is awful, the worst striker I’ve seen here.”
A third added: “Why did we spend so much? He’s a flop.”
A fourth argued: “He’s worth no more than £40m. Newcastle’s system made him look like a £120m player.”
A fifth concluded: “This is the poorest marquee striker signing I’ve witnessed, and Ekitike has overshadowed him completely.”
Liverpool now turn their attention back to the Premier League, where they host Brighton on Saturday.
