‘A bit soft’ – Do you agree with Martin Keown’s verdict on Florian Wirtz penalty decision in Liverpool’s Champions League win over Internazionale?

Make your own mind up whether you agree with Martin Keown’s assessment on Alessandro Bastoni’s shirt-pull on Liverpool forward Florian Wirtz.

The Merseyside giants were coming off the back of a disappointing 3-3 home draw with Leeds United in the Premier League, and had also elected not to bring Salah with them to the clash with Inter.

The pressure was on Liverpool to stay in with a chance of automatic qualification for the knockout round against a side that had not lost at home in Europe for three years, and they ultimately secured a victory thanks to a controversial refereeing decision.

The German playmaker had his shirt tugged by Inter defender Bastoni, and both Keown and fellow pundit Robbie Savage felt the penalty might have been a little soft to award, as the player fell to the ground in dramatic fashion.

However, Keown pointed out that Bastoni had indeed pulled the shirt of the player and felt he deserved some criticism.

“If you’re actually working with Bastoni, if you’re the defensive coach, you’re saying: ‘Why are you doing it? Why are you pulling his shirt?'” Keown said.

“Just don’t give them the opportunity to go down. We know it’s a bit soft, but it’s a penalty. He shouldn’t be pulling his shirt. It’s just not necessary.”

You can have your say on whether you think the referee got the decision right, or whether Liverpool were given a lucky break late on in Milan.

Keown: Slot handled the situation well, Salah ‘got things wrong’

“He (Slot) has not allowed a major situation to de-rail his preparation, his team,” Keown said.

“The most important thing is not about one individual. It’s always going to be about the club itself. I think it’s like, ‘Okay, he’s one of our all-time greats, so we’re going to handle this in a polite way’.

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Video credit: TNT Sports

“It’s been dealt with internally. I was surprised yesterday, actually, to see him taking part in a warm-up training session.

“It looks like they’ve already gone past that hurdle of integrating him back in to a certain extent, but I think they did the right and proper thing, leaving him at home. How soon they bring him back is the next question. It’s only one game available.

“I wouldn’t like to see it end in this way, a player of his calibre leaving for one moment of emotion where he got things wrong.”