Champions League, Napoli-Liverpool 4-1: Maradona’s blue dominance

the match

There was no story but even a minute and in case Napoli – Liverpool 4-1 It is the pure truth. After 42 seconds of play, Allison’s pole – easily jumped by Osimhen and thrown deep – rang out, setting fire to the Maradona And the start of the show organized by Spalletti’s Azzurri. Perfect action in fours, unfortunate goals, with emotions in spikes and twists always blue mixed for good (the goals) and evil (the wrong penalty kick and goals devoured the empty net). Spalletti gave Klopp a very heavy but important lesson and not only in terms of qualification.

From a performance standpoint, the numbers clearly speak, starting with the match report. But it is character, design and above all technology it possesses Naples Everyone was amazed by a practically perfect test run. The Liverpool The European vice-champion, certainly not in his finest moment in history but still formidable, was immediately cornered with ferocity and tenacity, without fear and immediately after two penalties in the first quarter of play were the result of an important aggression against the back-pressure masters.

At 5′ Zelensky opened the match with a penalty after Milner’s hand touch deflected a sure shot, then Osimene He didn’t do the same at 17′ allowing himself to be hypnotized Alison After banter Van Dyck in the area. Not bad, because the Reds’ defensive line was easily breached during the first half and chances were plenty for Napoli. At 28 ‘same Osimene Kvaratskhelia freed in the area with the goalkeeper out of the poles, blocking Van Dijk’s split, while the Triangle asked at 31 minutes and closed it with Zelensky On the edge of the area led to 2-0 Zambo Anguissa. Osimhen’s injury in the 40th minute could have cooled the enthusiasm but no, in the perfect work he would take his place, sholeto simone In the first ball of his Champions League career, he found 3-0, complete with tears of joy.

And in recovery? The possibility or even the idea of ​​Instabullian returning from 0-3 to 3-3 was eliminated in just two minutes. ZelenskyGood to take advantage of Simeone’s pass again for 4-0 which lasted 120 seconds, just enough time for that Luis Diaz To justify the trip in the presence of him in Vesuvius and all of Liverpool. Indeed, in the next forty minutes, Napoli managed to contain the attempts of the Reds to act, even with the exchange rates, leading to a historic result and applause in the lead.

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report cards

Osimene 7 – In doubt until the end he got really dangerous a few seconds later by hitting the post after he dribbled off Alison. He sends Gomez and Van Dijk mad, then misses a penalty that tarnishes his performance but lasts less than in the past. Muscle injury forces him to change.

Kvaratskhelia 7.5.1 Update – From the “perfect stranger” to the modern football marvel. The match against Liverpool is the most important stage of his career, and if Van Dijk’s goal-missing goal-line becomes an insignificant detail, it’s because before and after Maradona lights up with crazy games, with enviable style and speed. Simeone help.

Zelensky 8.5 – Wins and scores the penalty kick that opens the match, then pulls the soccer ball in the middle of the field which justifies Klopp’s appreciation and assists Zambo Anguisa. In the second half with the insertion, the poker falls and the action is completed.

Zambo Anguilla 8 – Absolutely do mei nan-tee. If that’s nothing new at the blocking level, the quality with which he makes his contribution to the offensive phase is one that wrinkles eyes: Targets with insertion and stop action of the fourth target.

Gomez 2 Pictures speak clearly, unpresentable. Second, the minimum wage. He got it all wrong and Klopp saved him another 45 minutes of embarrassment by substituting him at halftime.

Van Dyck 3 – The start of the Dutch season was a process and a catastrophic test against Osimene of Naples, not just his confirmation. The speech is similar to his teammate, but he at least dodges the goal with a sure shot from Kvaratskhelia and hits the net in attack. Still seriously insufficient.

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Table

Napoli 4-1 Liverpool
Naples (4-3-3): Merit 7 di Lorenzo 6.5, Rahmani 6.5, Kim 6.5, Oliveira 6.5 (29 Mario Roy Street 6); Anguissa 8, Lobotka 7, Zielinski 8.5 (29′ st Elmas 6); Politano 6.5 (12′ st Lozano 6), Osimhen 7 (41′ Simeone 7), Kvaratskhelia 7.5 (12′ st Zerbin 6). Available: Marvella, Sirigo, Ostegaard, Juan Jesus, Zanoli, Ndombele, Gaetano, Rasbadori. Coach: Spalletti 7.5.
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson 6, Alexander Arnold 4, Gomez 2 (1′ Matip 5.5), Van Dyck 3, Robertson 5; Elliot 5.5 (32′ St. Arthur sv.), Fabinho 5, Milner 4 (17′ St. Tiago 5); Salah 4 (17 Jota 5.5) Firmino 4 (17 Nunez 5) Diaz 6.5. Available: Adrian, Phillips, Tsimikas, Bagcitic, Davis. Coach: Club 2.
Rule: Del Cerro Grande (Spain)
Signs: 5′ rig. Zielinski (N), 31′ Anguissa (N), 44′ Simeone (N), 2′ st Zielinski (N), 4′ st Diaz (L)
ammonites: Rahmani (n); Milner, Van Dyck (left)
Fired: no one
NB: 17′ Alison (left) saves a penalty kick from Osimhen (n)
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Opta Statistics

The last time Liverpool conceded four goals in Europe was against an Italian team: against Roma on May 2, 2018.
Napoli scored three goals in the first half in a Champions League match for only the second time (the first was against KRC Genk in December 2019). Liverpool conceded three goals in the first half in a competition match for the first time since October 2014 against Real Madrid.
Giovanni Simeone scored on his Champions League debut, 25 years and 361 days after his father Diego Simeone scored on his debut in the competition (two goals against FCSB in 1996).
Peter Zelensky, who scored in the fifth minute, scored two of the three fastest goals for Napoli in the Champions League, tonight and December 6, 2017 against Feyenoord (2).
Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski scored many goals against Liverpool tonight (2 goals) and also scored in his first 25 UEFA Champions League matches before today.
Piotr Zielinski (26) equaled Koulibaly and Alan in fifth place among Napoli players with the most appearances in the Champions League.
Peter Zielinski’s fifth penalty kick for Napoli was Liverpool’s fastest penalty in a Champions League match.
Before Zambo Anguisa and Giovanni Simeone, the last player to score in his first match for Napoli in the Champions League was Llorente, again against Liverpool on 17/9/2019.
This is the first time that Liverpool have faced two penalties in a Champions League match.
After a run of 150 games without a penalty kick in all competitions for Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk secured two penalties in his last seven matches for the Reds.