‘Inter Milan played the better football’ – Rio Ferdinand reacts to Liverpool squeezing into Champions League quarter-finals

Rio Ferdinand was impressed by Inter Milan in their Champions League last 16 tie with Liverpool, believing the Italians played better football than the Premier League side over both games, despite exiting the competition.

Inter won 1-0 at Anfield on Tuesday night, but after losing 2-0 at the San Siro last month they see their Champions League campaign end before the quarter-final stage.

Simone Inzaghi’s side were very good in the first leg and would have felt unfortunate to lose it 2-0, while they were good again at Liverpool, but the Reds had far more chances, hitting the woodwork three times.

It was a hard fought and evenly matched tie over two legs, but Ferdinand felt Inter edged it in terms of quality, but they cost themselves the second leg when Alexis Sanchez was sent off in the second half on Tuesday.

The Chilean was shown a second yellow just two minutes after Lautaro Martinez put Inter ahead, and that allowed the home side to control the final half hour of the match.

‘I think Sanchez’s sending off really ended all their hopes, Inter,’ Ferdinand told BT Sport.

‘They’d done fabulously well to get back into the game. Over the two legs I think they’ve played the best football of the two teams.

‘They haven’t had the cutting edge, that’s what has been lacking. If they had the cutting edge with the football they’ve been playing, they’re going to be a problem.

‘In the second half I thought they gave it a really good go before the goal.

‘You then think, “Oh my God, Anfield’s silenced and it’s going to be a real, real battle for Liverpool to make sure they stay ahead towards the end of the game.”

‘Then within a minute of the goal it’s a red card and ended all hopes of Inter going through.’