FOOTBALL: Alexis Sanchez’s red card against Liverpool, according to Lautaro Martinez, was the deciding factor

On Tuesday evening, Sanchez was sent off only two minutes after Martinez scored the game’s only goal. For a foul on Thiago Alcantara, the Chilean international was handed a second yellow card.

Alexis Sanchez’s red card against Liverpool, according to Lautaro Martinez, was “the difference” between Inter Milan reaching the Champions League quarter-finals and crashing out.

As a result, despite winning the second leg of their last-16 encounter at Anfield, Simone Inzaghi’s side was eliminated from the Champions League.

Martinez told Sky Italia after the game: ‘We accomplished what we wanted to do, we showed character, the desire to succeed, especially when we took the lead in a difficult environment with such zeal.’

‘It’s a shame we’re down to ten men now, because these are the things that can make a difference.’ We must immediately turn the page and attempt to look ahead.

‘We are out of the Champions League, but we still have the Coppa Italia and Serie A to contend with, so we must try our hardest, learn from our mistakes, and keep growing.’

Meanwhile, Inter manager Inzaghi expressed his disappointment with the result but pride in his team’s performance in defeating one of “the strongest clubs in Europe.”

Inter’s outcome against Liverpool in the first leg at the San Siro, according to Inzaghi, was even more disappointing.

‘We played against perhaps the strongest team in Europe at this time and we were their equals. We paid a high price for the red card.’

Liverpool’s victory over Inter Milan has kept their hopes of winning the historic quadruple alive.

However, Mohamed Salah couldn’t help but share his disappointment at his inability to find the back of the net.

Salah hit the post on two occasions during the last 16 tie. However, he did praise his team for ‘performing well’.

Salah said: ‘I hit the post a couple of times, maybe next game I’ll score three. But the most important thing is that the team performed and we’re through into the next round.’