Second half
Salah failed to properly connect with his finish from a Cody Gakpo square across the box straight from the action’s resumption.
Next, Szoboszlai was in the right place to eliminate the danger when Alisson miskicked with Marmoush chasing a ball over the top.
The Hungarian clipped a low effort that was straight at Gianluigi Donnarumma and Ekitike curled one wide after Salah and Wirtz harrying.
Alisson plucked in an Antoine Semenyo drive as City emerged from a period of encampment in their own half.
Liverpool’s goalkeeper immediately sparked a counter-attack ending with Ekitike nodding a yard the wrong side of the left post from Salah’s toe-poke cross.
Ruben Dias sliced off target and Wirtz was thwarted by a Guehi block, before the City centre-back halted a Salah attack with a cynical shirt-pull.
The incident occurred on the cusp of the box and was judged not to be a denial of a scoring opportunity and red-card offence, via a VAR check.
The Reds would break the stalemate from a dead-ball on 74 minutes, though, and in world-class fashion.
Szoboszlai stood over a set-piece fully 25 yards or more from goal and made his shooting intentions very clear.
The strike was sumptuous, truly smacked into the air and laser-guided off the inside of the right post into the City net.
But the away team got back on terms 10 minutes later, Haaland angling a headed knockdown into the path of Silva to prod in from close range.
And at the outset of seven additional minutes, Alisson brought down Matheus Nunes as he rushed from goal and the referee pointed to the spot.
Haaland guided the kick into the bottom left corner to put City in front.
A chaotic passage of play ensued, Alisson saving from Rayan Ait-Nouri and Donnarumma producing a stretching save to tip out a deflected Mac Allister hit.
The Reds sent their goalkeeper forward in the final throes and on a breakaway, Cherki rolled an effort towards the exposed net from the halfway line.
Haaland and Szoboszlai were impeding each other as they ran after the ball before it crossed the line.
Ultimately, the officials ruled Szoboszlai’s contribution to be worthy of dismissal and the chain of events meant the goal did not count.
Attendance: 60,336
