Napoli vs Liverpool

Liverpool continued their dreadful start to the season with a 4-1 drubbing against Napoli in their UEFA Champions League group opener.

The Colombian winger played with fire in his belly and scored the only goal of the game for Liverpool. Thiago certainly performed at a high level, and the Reds improved following his introduction. Salah worked hard on the night, but he was starved of service from his teammates, and the Napoli defenders dealt with him well. However, Firmino was ineffective for most of his stay on the pitch. He tried to create some chances with his long passing but ended up giving the ball away for Napoli’s counter-attacks. It was a horror show from the experienced Liverpool midfielder, and he was pressed out of the game by Napoli. The Liverpool right-back has often been criticised for his defensive frailties, and he was exposed once again by the Napoli winger Kvaratskhelia. Gomez could have easily played a hand in conceding another goal, but Virgil van Dijk did well to make a goal-line clearance in the first half. However, he did produce an impressive performance and saved a penalty early on in the first half. Klopp did make a number of changes after that and Liverpool improved marginally but they failed to reduce the deficit further and Napoli will be delighted with their comprehensive victory. The talented young Georgian winger set up a tap-in for his teammate Giovanni Simeone in the 44th minute to put the game beyond the Reds. The spot-kick was awarded after a handball from James Milner.

Liverpool had another performance they will want to forget yesterday evening after losing 4-1 to Napoli in the Champions League.

The manager will certainly be hoping that his star player can finally find some form and confidence sooner rather than later. Thus, finding Salah’s appetite for goals again is a huge area of concern if the Reds are to rediscover their best form. At the moment, he is playing to a rather shocking level and that must be fixed as soon as possible. Indeed, over Salah’s 63-minute appearance – whose touch on the night was dubbed [156-goal](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/mohamed-salah/leistungsdatenverein/spieler/148455) machine has been struggling to get back to his best since re-joining the side after the African Cup of Nations in January, with just [seven](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/mohamed-salah/leistungsdaten/spieler/148455/plus/0?saison=2021) goals in the second half of last season and this term, the inconsistency in front of goal has continued with just [two](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/mohamed-salah/leistungsdaten/spieler/148455) strikes to his name so far. [contract](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/mohamed-salah-signs-new-long-term-lfc-contract) picking up a salary of [£350k-per-week](https://fbref.com/en/players/e342ad68/Mohamed-Salah) but again last night, the Liverpool ace failed to impose himself on his opponents.

The Liverpool right-back was part of a defence that got ripped apart by Napoli in the Reds' Champions League opener and new footage has clearly shown how ...

[Jurgen Klopp](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/jurgen-klopp) ’s troops found themselves 3-0 down at the break but the scoreline could well have been even more emphatic at the break. When people don’t run or don’t have the desire to get back. Liverpool got teased, they got embarrassed, they got shown up. What you can’t accept as a manager or as a player is a lack of effort and desire. It is the latest in an ever-growing list of defensive indiscretions from the Reds’ academy graduate as Liverpool’s inconsistent start to the new season continues. They were lacklustre and lacked grit, determination and desire.” Former Red Fowler accused Alexander-Arnold of lacking “desire”. New footage has shown Alexander-Arnold not tracking his runner and practically standing still within the penalty area. “Gomez makes the mistake but you’ve got to get back and help your team-mates and Trent didn’t do that. [Liverpool](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc) ’s defensive horror-show against [Napoli](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/napoli) has been torn apart by [Rio Ferdinand](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/rio-ferdinand) and [Robbie Fowler](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/napoli) with fresh footage shining the spotlight on a lack of “desire” from [Trent Alexander-Arnold](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/trent-alexander-arnold). [Share your thoughts in the comments below](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-napoli-ferdinand-alexander-arnold-27936390#comments-section) [Champions League](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/champions-league) campaign in the [worst possible way as they were torn apart by the Serie A outfit](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-napoli-champions-league-defeat-27934274) at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Fabio Cannavaro analysed Liverpool's defensive mistakes against Napoli, while Clarence Seedorf said the Reds' approach was 'terrible.'

They continued to dominate in the second half, scored the fourth goal through [Piotr Zielinski](https://football-italia.net/player/piotr-zielinski/) and controlled the game when Luis Diaz scored Liverpool’s only goal of the night. Look at the goals they conceded. “As for the fourth goal, this is such an easy ball to read.

Jamie Carragher produced some fascinating analysis around Liverpool's defending after his former club suffered a 4-1 defeat to Napoli in the Champions ...

What I’m saying is that when the ball is there and you know he’s going to kick it, you are ready to go and as he goes to kick it, you go back. I said before, it’s kids’ stuff and this is the big problem with Liverpool right now. That energy is not there now. “It’s not a problem with how high the line is, it’s about being compact, being together. “This is a problem for Liverpool: the high line,” the respected pundit began. “They’re not actually getting pressure on the ball.