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Liverpool's Champions League campaign off to disastrous start after 4-1 walloping by Napoli

Wed, Sep 7, 2022
Soccer News (AP)

Liverpool's Champions League campaign off to disastrous start after 4-1 walloping by Napoli

The shock result of the opening round of UEFA Champions League fixtures came at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona where SSC Napoli dismantled Liverpool 4-1 on Wednesday to join AFC Ajax as early Group A leaders after an unpredictable midweek slate across the board.

Luciano Spalletti's men needed just five minutes to take the lead through Piotr Zielinksi's penalty and it could easily have been two had Victor Osimhen converted from the penalty spot after 18. Napoli did double their lead just after the half hour mark through Andre Zambo Anguissa from a Zielinski assist before Osimhen was forced off through injury.

The Nigeria international's replacement Giovanni Simeone wasted little time in getting in on the act with a third for the Partenopei just three minutes later after being teed up by Khvicha Kvaratskvhelia. The Georgia international was electric, ripping into Liverpool at every possible opportunity as the Reds struggled to get to grips with the Italians and Jurgen Klopp's men were lucky it was only three at the break.

Three became four just two minutes into the second 45 when Zielinski needed two attempts to beat Alisson Becker after being played in by the sensational Kvaratskvhelia. Luis Diaz reacted two minutes later, though, throwing his teammates a scarcely deserved lifeline in Naples from and Andy Robertson assist which was ultimately not seized upon.

The result sees Napoli join Ajax with an early advantage in Champions League Group A after the Dutch giants thumped Rangers 4-0 and Spalletti's side are now on an unbeaten run of four wins from six matches so far this season. As for Liverpool, Klopp's side have just two wins from seven, draw too often and next face a tricky clash with Ajax who have rediscovered their European swagger.

The German tactician is finding his seventh season at Anfield tough going so far which was also the case with Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund before that. Worryingly for the Reds, he has multiple headaches to contend with as Premier League issues have followed the team onto the continental stage -- notably in the middle of the park.

Much of Liverpool's current misery stems from the midfield where Fabinho, James Milner, Harvey Elliott and later Thiago Alcantara struggled to get any foothold in the game at any point. However, the defense is equally concerning and arguably suffering because of that lack of midfield authority with Joel Matip being sent on to end Joe Gomez's first half misery in a mercy gesture from Klopp with Virgil van Dijk also unrecognizable of late.

Liverpool rarely get blown out like they did by Napoli with Real Madrid and Manchester City the only two sides to inflict reasonably heavy competitive defeats since Aston Villa's staggering 7-2 mauling of the Reds back in late 2020. However, this feels more concerning, especially given Klopp's history at this stage of his tenures.

There is no doubt that the 55-year-old has earned the right to avoid the same knee jerk treatment that , but something is clearly not quite right within the squad as evidenced by the late decision to move for Arthur Melo this summer. How long until this slow start to the season turns into something more worrying?

As for Napoli, though, another fine start to the season gets better and Spalletti's overhauled squad looks extremely potent. Fielding Osimhen when injured was a risk but it paid off as he was part of that first half blitz on Liverpool and could have even scored. As long as the Nigerian is fit and Kvaratskvhelia is on fire, the Italians feel like strong contenders to top a group which could get tricky for Klopp and his players.

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