The Champions League campaign for Liverpool got started to a terrible start on Wednesday in humid Naples as incredible Napoli easily defeated them 4-1.
3 – Liverpool have suffered the heaviest defeat by an English Premier League side in their opening game of a UEFA Champions League campaign since Arsenal lost 3-0 to Internazionale in 2003-04 – tonight was the Reds’ joint-heaviest defeat overall in the competition. Chaotic. pic.twitter.com/L21tONvHde
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 7, 2022
How Did Liverpool Lose?
Victor Osimhen set the rhythm early on by striking the post inside the first 60 seconds before James Milner carelessly gave up a penalty in the fifth minute, which Piotr Zielinski calmly converted.
Liverpool gave Osimhen his own opportunity to test Alisson from 12 yards after Virgil van Dijk’s careless challenge was called by a VAR review.
Alisson saved the Napoli striker’s penalty effort, but Liverpool’s reprieve lasted barely 13 minutes. Joe Gomez, who endured a hard 45 minutes before being substituted, was outmuscled by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, giving Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa the chance to tuck the ball low beyond Liverpool’s defenseless goalkeeper.
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Shortly before halftime, substitute Giovanni Simeone – in in place of the injured Osimhen – was found unmarked in the six yard box to turn home Kvaratskhelia’s perfect cross.
Zielinski rounded off the scoring for Luciano Spalletti’s new-look side two minutes into the second period to compound Liverpool’s misery, before Luis Diaz temporarily quietened the deafening home crowd when cutting inside to bend a low right-footed shot beyond Alex Meret.
Diaz, Liverpool’s only saviour on an otherwise sultry evening, also saw a thumping header saved while concerns in midfield personnel were slightly assuaged by the reemergence of Thiago and debut of Juventus loanee Arthur – both second-half substitutes.
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