Key Facts As Liverpool See Red In 4-1 Loss To Napoli

Liverpool fell to a resounding defeat in their opening Champions League group game as a Victor Osimhen inspired Napoli ran out 4-1 winners over Jurgen Klopp’s sorry outfit in Naples.

It was the hosts that flew out of the traps, with Osimhen hitting the outside of the post in the opening minute before a James Milner handball handed Napoli a penalty. Piotr Zielinski duly converted, ramping the atmosphere up even further, and handing Liverpool the worst possible start.

The night very nearly got worse for Jurgen Klopp’s side too, with Virgil van Dijk conceding a second penalty after bringing down the lively Osimhen as he raced into the penalty area. Fortunately for the Reds, the striker’s tame penalty was comfortably saved by Alisson to keep the deficit at just one after 20 minutes.

But that luck did not last. Joe Gomez was bailed out of one mistake by a goal line clearance from Van Dijk, but his second proved costly, with the Englishman caught on the ball on the edge of his own box, before some neat interplay allowed Zambo Anguissa to slip the ball under Alisson to double the hosts’ lead, one which they wholeheartedly deserved.

And, despite an injury to Osimhen blotting the copybook, another was forthcoming before the interval, with the electric Khvicha Kvaratskhelia outmuscling Gomez to pull the ball across to Diego Simeone, on as a first half substitute for the injured Nigerian who tapped home with his first touch of the game.

Klopp withdrew the dreadful Gomez at half time, but that did not stem the flow, with Napoli adding a fourth as Zielinski tapped home after Alisson saved the initial shot from the Polish midfielder. Liverpool, seemingly dead and buried, were handed a flicker of hope when Luis Diaz curled home with what is fast becoming a trademark finish, and the Colombian seemed on a one-man mission to turn the score around, seeing a flying header tipped over minutes later. But his efforts proved too little as Liverpool suffered a dreadful 4-1 loss in Naples in their first Champions League game of the season.

Here are key facts from the game as Napoli beat Liverpool 4-1;

1. 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. Wednesday night was the Reds’ joint-heaviest defeat overall in the competition.
2. Giovanni Simeone has scored on his UEFA Champions League debut, 25 years and 361 days after his father Diego Simeone also scored on his debut in the competition (two goals vs FCSB in 1996).
3. After a run of 150 matches without giving away a penalty in all competitions for Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk has given away two penalties in his last seven appearances for the Reds.
4. Liverpool have conceded the first goal in five games in all competitions this season, the joint-most of any Premier League side along with Southampton.

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