Napoli vs. Liverpool – Liverpool endured a nightmare start to their latest Champions League campaign as they were thrashed 4-1 by Napoli in their opening Group A game.
Beaten finalists in last season’s competition, the Reds fell a long way short of the standards required to reach the latter stages as they were overrun by effervescent opposition in Naples.
Luciano Spalletti’s men took an early lead when Piotr Zielinski converted from the spot in the fifth minute, but they missed another penalty moments later when Victor Osimhen was thwarted by Alisson.
However, that disappointment didn’t halt their momentum, with Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Giovanni Simeone extending their lead to three goals before the break.
Zielinski then grabbed another shortly after the restart, rendering Luis Diaz’s almost immediate response irrelevant.
Napoli vs. Liverpool result
| 1H | 2H | Final | |
| Napoli | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Liverpool | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Goals:
NAP: Zielinski pen (5th min)
NAP: Anguissa (31st min)
NAP: Simeone (45th min)
NAP: Zielinski (47th min)
LIV: Diaz (49th min)
With five games still remaining in the group, it is perhaps too early for Liverpool to panic about their hopes of reaching the knockout stages.
But a return of three wins, three draws and two defeats — the most recent coming in comprehensive fashion — across all competitions represents a concerning start to the season that will have alarm bells ringing.
Napoli vs. Liverpool commentary, highlights from Champions League
FULLTIME: All over in Naples and Napoli run out deserved 4-1 winners. What a performance from the hosts, and what a nightmare for the visitors to start things of in this season’s Champions League.
90th min: Four minutes to be added on in Naples and you sense the home crowd would like more. They are loving this!
85th min: Liverpool dominating possession in the closing stages in Naples but they aren’t creating chances as Napoli simply soak up pressure to see out a comfortable win.
77th min: Arthur makes his Liverpool debut off the bench.
69th min: Elliott slips Nunez in behind but after a clever cut inside he tries to get back on his right and plays the ball into the sliding defender to lose possession.
61st min: Salah and Firmino making way for Nunez and Thiago for Liverpool. That’s surely Klopp keeping an eye on the weekend’s meeting with Wolves.
57th min: Lozano and Zerbin replace Politano and Kvaratskhelia for Napoli – fresh legs for Liverpool to contend with.
49th min: GOAL! Luis Diaz with a rare moment of quality for Liverpool as he cuts in off the left and curls one into the far corner in trademark fashion.
Don’t call it a comeback…
47th min: GOAL! Well the half-time reset hasn’t helped Liverpool by the looks of things!
Anguissa loops a ball in behind under zero pressure and there’s another simple pass on across the box for Zielinski, who follows in and after his initial attempt is saved.
46th min: Liverpool get the game restarted having made a change at the break, with Joel Matip taking the place of Joe Gomez, who had a horror half.
HALFTIME: Well, you’d say Napoli have pretty much wrapped this one up already with a phenomenal first-half performance.
Jurgen Klopp might want to start making his subs early.
45th min: GOAL! Well, perhaps that wasn’t good news, then!
Kvaratskhelia runs into the box and physically dominates Gomez before pulling back to Simeone for a tap-in with his first touch. You can’t say Napoli don’t deserve it.
40th min: Finally some good news for Liverpool as Victor Osimhen, who has been utterly electric, departs through injury. He is replaced by Giovanni Simeone, son of Atletico Madrid manager Diego.
31st min: GOAL! Napoli get their second this time and it’s no less than they deserve!
Anguissa plays a slick one-two with Zielinski on the edge of the Liverpool box and he has the freedom of Naples to slip the ball under Alisson to double the hosts’ advantage.
28th min: Gomez gets his pocket picked in dangerous area by Osimhen, who picks out Kvaratskhelia to leave Alisson stranded and a seemingly open goal.
However, Van Dijk emerges from absolutely nowhere to clear the shot off the line and Liverpool survive again. Excellent defending.
18th min: SAVED!
Zielinski gives up penalty duties to Osimhen but the striker’s effort is kept out as Alisson gets down to his right to palm away before Di Lorenzo fires the follow-up over. What a let-off for Liverpool.
17th min: PENALTY TO NAPOLI!
Osimhen goes down in the box after clashing with Van Dijk and the referee is quickly summoned to the screen to have a second look.
He sees the Napoli striker’s foot clearly stood on in the challenge and that’s another spot kick.
12th min: That’s the 11th time in the last 15 games that Liverpool have gone behind. Not a great record.
5th min: GOAL! Napoli take the lead as Zielinski thrashes the ball home confidently, sending Alisson the wrong way.
4th min: PENALTY TO NAPOLI!
The Italians have been all over Liverpool in these opening minutes and they get their reward as Politano’s shot after a quick break strikes the outstretched arm of Milner. No question that’s a spot kick.
2nd min: Napoli hit the post!
Osimhen races onto a ball in behind and pokes it around an onrushing Alisson but the angle is just too tight for the striker and his effort comes back off the upright.
1st min: Napoli get the game under way.
15 mins from kickoff: Klopp speaking to BT Sport: “With Napoli, the team changes but the people don’t. We felt it last night at the hotel, there were fireworks again. They don’t let you forget what you are here for.”
25 mins from kickoff: All over in Amsterdam and Ajax have beaten Rangers 4-0 to get the group started in perfect fashion.
The gauntlet thrown down to Napoli and Liverpool nice and early.
45 mins from kickoff: Liverpool still only able to name 10 substitutes tonight rather than the available 12 due to injuries.
However, with the likes of Nunez, Jota and Thiago Alcantara now available, Jurgen Klopp’s squad is certainly starting to look stronger than it did in the early weeks of the season.
75 mins from kickoff: And here’s Napoli, who have Osimhen available despite the striker having been a fitness doubt.
75 mins from kickoff: The Liverpool team news has arrived!
95 mins from kickoff: Group A’s other two teams taking part in the earlier kickoff this evening and it would be fair to say we already have a decent idea of how that one is going to go.
With just 40 minutes gone in Amsterdam, it’s Ajax 3-0 Rangers.
120 mins from kickoff: Hello and welcome to the Sporting News’ coverage of Napoli against Liverpool in the opening fixture of the group stages of a new Champions League season.
Today’s visitors were defeated finalists against Real Madrid last season, and how they would love to begin another deep run in the competition with victory this evening. However, they will need to hope it’s fourth time lucky in terms of earning a maiden win in Naples.
Napoli vs. Liverpool team news
Napoli striker Victor Osimhen starts against Liverpool despite having trained separately from the rest of the squad this week as a result of a muscle issue.
He is joined in an exciting attack by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the winger dubbed ‘Kvaradona’ by the club’s supporters.
Hirving Lozano makes the bench after having an examination that ruled out facial fractures following his departure on a stretcher during the 2-1 win at Lazio on Saturday. Midfielder Diego Demme misses out entirely through injury.
Napoli lineup (4-2-3-1): Meret (GK) — Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Minjae, Olivera — Anguissa, Lobotka — Zielinski, Politano, Kvaratskhelia — Osimhen.
Subs: Sirigu, Jesus, Mario Rui, Ostigard, Zanoli, Elmas, Gaetano, Ndombele, Zerbin, Lozano, Raspadori, Simeone.
Jurgen Klopp resists the temptation to start the fit-again Thiago Alcantara or new signing Arthur in midfield despite the absence of Jordan Henderson, Fabio Carvalho, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain through injury.
That means a starting place for James Milner in the middle, while Andy Robertson and Roberto Firmino also return to the line-up.
Goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and defenders Ibrahima Konate and Calvin Ramsay are still out.
Liverpool lineup (4-3-3): Alisson (GK) — Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson — Elliott, Fabinho, Milner — Salah, Firmino, Diaz.
Subs: Adrian, Davies, Thiago Alcantara, Jota, Tsimikas, Nunez, Arthur, Matip, Bajcetic, Phillips.
What time is Napoli vs. Liverpool?
Napoli play host to Liverpool in Naples, Italy. It kicks off at 20:00 BST on Saturday, September 3.
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | |
| Date | Wed, September 7 | Wed, September 7 | Wed, September 7 | Thu, September 8 |
| Time | 20:00 BST | 15:00 ET | 15:00 ET | 05:00 AEST |
How to watch Napoli vs. Liverpool
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | |
| TV channel | BT Sport 2 | – | – | Stan Sport |
| Streaming | BT Sport app, BTSport.com, LiveScore app | Vix, Paramount+ | DAZN | Stan Sport |
UK: BT Sport will be showing the match live on TV and online/via the BT Sport app.
USA: CBS streams every match on Paramount+, with select matches televised on CBS or CBS Sports Network. Univision places select matches across its TV networks (Univision, TUDN, UniMas, and Galavision) and also makes all matches from the group stage on available via its ViX streaming platform. Any matches televised by either CBS or Univision can also be streamed on fuboTV.
Canada: Every Champions League game streams live on DAZN.
Australia: Fans can watch the action via Stan Sport.
Interesting Facts About Champions League 2022
The Champions League is by far the strongest football competition in the world. It is a truly international event, bringing together the best clubs from across Europe to compete for the ultimate prize in club football. The 2022 Champions League is the 67th edition of the world-famous tournament.
With such a long history behind it, Champions League definitely generated tons of interesting facts and records. Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting details you should know about this competition even in 2022!
Real Madrid was the first winner of the competition
The first Champions League was played in 1955, with Real Madrid winning the title. Their opponent in the initial final of the competition was none other than French giants Stade de Reims. The Spanish side won the match 4-3, with Di Stefano and Puskas scoring two goals each. This was also the first-ever European Cup final.
Real Madrid is also the most successful team in Championship League history
This Spanish team remains the most successful club in the competition’s history, with a total of 13 titles. They are followed by AC Milan and Liverpool, who both have seven Champions League titles to their name. Barcelona is in fourth place with five Champions League titles.
Football betting has become a real deal
The best online casino and other online gambling platforms are famous for free spins and attractive games, but something’s changed recently. Namely, new online casinos started adding football bets to their portfolios in order to attract millions of fans from all over the globe.
They do it to perfection, adding various betting options like first goal scorer, correct score, and many more. You can even bet on the outcome of the Champions League itself. That way, gamblers get to make the best of both worlds – they get to watch their favorite teams play and potentially win some money while doing so.
FC Chelsea is the reigning champion
The 2020-21 Champions League winner FC Chelsea from London. The English side managed to claim their second Champions League trophy in an exciting final against fellow Premier League club Manchester City. Chelsea won the match 1-0, with a goal from German star Kai Havertz.
The 2022 Champions League final will be held at Stade de France
The hosting venue of the 2022 Champions League final will be Stade de France in Paris. With such a rich history and so many incredible teams competing for the trophy, the Champions League final is definitely a match to watch out for this year.
The Champions League is held every year
Since its inception, the Champions League has been held every year without fail. This makes it the longest-running annual international football tournament in the world. It was originally known as the European Champion Clubs’ Cup, but it was renamed the Champions League in 1992.
The Champions League is the most-watched annual sporting event in the world
The Champions League’s history and its pack of amazing teams turned this even into the most-watched annual sporting competition in the world. According to the report, the competition earns nearly 400 million viewers every year. This only goes to show the power and appeal of the Champions League.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the competition’s top scorer
With a total of 140 goals, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is the all-time leading goal scorer in the Champions League. He is closely followed by his rival Lionel Messi, who has so far scored 125 goals in the competition. The two fierce rivals have been dominating the scoring charts for years and are considered to be two of the greatest footballers of all time.
Monaco won the highest-scoring match in Champions League history
AS Monaco holds the record for the highest-scoring match in Champions League history. This came about in their Round of 16 clash against Deportivo La Coruna in the 2003-04 season. The match ended in a stunning 8-3 victory for Monaco.
There have been many great players throughout the years
Some of the greatest footballers to have ever played the game have graced the Champions League. Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldinho are just some of the household names that have lit up the competition over the years. There is no doubt that the Champions League has seen some of the best players in the world strut their stuff on the biggest stage.
Conclusion
So, these are some of the most interesting facts about the Champions League that you should know about in 2022! With so much history and excitement behind it, the competition is definitely one to watch out for. Be sure to tune in to catch all the action!
Sources:
https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/025a-0ea50ec92fd0-788683cd18ca-1000–competition-facts/
https://www.chaseyoursport.com/Football/Interesting-Facts-About-Champions-League/4055
https://fcbayern.com/en/news/2022/09/5-facts-on-the-opening-champions-league-game-at-inter-milan
