Michael Owen has predicted Liverpool to beat Napoli when the pair clash in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The former Reds forward expects the game to be a tight and close affair but believes the Reds will be able to edge the game considering how they have improved over the course of the last year.
Owen backed the Reds to achieve victory despite admitting that Napoli deserved to win last time the two sides met in Italy in the Champions League last season.
“The sides met in the group stages last season and Napoli ran out deserved winners in Italy despite the fact that the only goal of the game came in the 90th minute,” wrote Owen in his BetVictor blog.
“The Reds have improved again in the last 12 months, however, and I expect the holders to gain a narrow, but significant, victory in Naples in what promises to be a tight, close affair.”
OPINION
Napoli achieved a narrow 1-0 victory over Liverpool in Naples last season and while it didn’t end up stopping the Reds marching towards winning another Champions League trophy, it did show that the Italian side are a team the Reds have to be wary off. Lorenzo Insigne scored an injury-time winner in order for Napoli to get all three points last season, and the attacker is someone the Reds have to keep a close eye on this time around as well. The 28-year-old has got his 2019/20 campaign off to a flying start as not only has he averaged a rating of 7.13 across his three league outings on WhoScored, but he has been lethal in front of goal. Insigne already has two goals and two assists to his name and he will no doubt be looking to get his Champions League campaign up and running by getting on the scoresheet against the Reds. While Owen claims Liverpool have improved since last meeting Napoli, their defensive record this season isn’t great. Liverpool have only managed to rack up one clean sheet in their first five league outings.
