Liverpool 2-0 Napoli: Jurgen Klopp’s side finish second in group despite win at Anfield

Liverpool ended Napoli’s perfect Champions League record with victory at Anfield but still had to settle for second place in Group A.

Liverpool never looked remotely close to securing the four-goal advantage they would need against Napoli, who have completely dominated the group, but these three points will act as a real morale booster.

Thiago Alcantara saved from Napoli defender Alex Meret in the first half, while Napoli thought they had leveled after the break only for defender Leo Ostigard’s free-kick to be ruled out for offside after a lengthy video assistant referee’s call. VAR) examination.

The game went from a number of chances to an equaliser, but Liverpool grabbed the winner when Mohamed Salah had to finish from close range five minutes from time, with Nunez sealing the deal in added time.

Konate shows his lesson

Liverpool’s defensive resilience, not helped by a struggling midfield, was one of the hallmarks of their disappointing start to the season but Ibrahima Konate showed what they had been missing as they secured a place in the last 16 of the Champions League. confirmed.

Konate suffered a pre-season knee injury which forced him to miss the start of the campaign, then he was sidelined by another muscle problem which saw Liverpool’s last campaign suffer without him.

The 23-year-old France defender bounced back against Napoli’s formidable attack and put in an impressive display as Liverpool looked a much safer proposition than they have in recent times.

Konate’s defensive quality along with Virgil van Dijk held off the dangerous Victor Osimhen, showing composure, pace and physical presence as Napoli suffered a rare taste of defeat.

Admittedly, Napoli weren’t at their most devastating and knew it would take something truly special from Liverpool to turn this group on its head, but the class shown by Konate showed exactly why the manager Jurgen Klopp will hope that this talented young defender can now be injured. -free ride for the rest of the season.

Liverpool is back

Liverpool’s form and approach have been questioned after defeats to struggling Nottingham Forest and Leeds United – criticism justified by how poor they have been, a shadow of a team that spent almost all of last season chasing a historic frame.

Klopp’s side will take great heart from defeating Napoli, although it must be given context that the Italian knew that only a four-goal margin of defeat would make a difference in the group standings.

It took a huge element of danger out of the group, with Liverpool’s goals coming so late that there was never an opportunity for Anfield to enter into any sort of glimmer of hope.

However, this was an example of what Liverpool can do but also showed the two sides of their season so far. They have beaten Manchester City and Napoli at Anfield without conceding a goal, but have also suffered losses against teams who have struggled early this season, as well as Manchester United and Arsenal, two teams they have punished heavily. lost recent seasons.

Liverpool looked more confident at the back, surviving a VAR scare when Odigard thought he had scored, then clinched the match with those two late goals that would act as a real game-changer for manager Klopp, his players and the club’s fans. finished at a high level. who have been so disappointing with their form so far this season.

The main thing is consistency now and Liverpool face a serious test of their credentials when they travel to Tottenham, who are content. victory in Marseille which saw them win their group, for the Premier League on Sunday.

Player of the match

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Naples

1. Group number77Player nameKvaratskhelia

2. Group number9Player nameOsimhen

3. Group number55Player nameÖstergård

4. Group number3Player nameKim Min-Jae

5. Group number68Player nameLobotka

6. Group number21Player namePolitano

7. Group number99Player nameZambo Anguissa

8. Group number17Player nameOlivera

9. Group number22Player nameIn Lorenzo

10. Group number91Player nameNdombélé

11. Group number1Player nameMeret

12. Group number11Player nameLozano

13. Group number20Player nameZielinski

14. Group number7Player nameDiamond

15. Group number81Player nameRaspadori

16. Group number18Player nameSimeone