Tonight, Liverpool kick off their Champions League campaign at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples, as they take on a resurgent Luciano Spalletti-led Napoli side.
Jurgen Klopp’s side will have it all to do as they take on a Serie A side who have conceded just four goals in the league this season, but have tripled that figure when it comes to goals scored.
Liverpool have never won at this venue under Klopp and come into this game with seven outfield injuries in what will be a tough test for Klopp’s mentality monsters.
Addressing his record against Gli Azzurri in a pre-match press conference, as per Liverpool Echo, Klopp said:
“We never won here but we quite frequently qualified for CL final after Napoli was with us in groups. Maybe twice, once with Dortmund. I am a late bloomer, I need longer to achieve. We have to play better than 3 previous games.”
Speaking on what is a new-look Napoli side, the German boss went on to say:
“They are a young team but they are all good. I’m not 100% sure but I think not too long ago there was a nervous situation around Napoli when players left, now it’s settled again. One player who always stayed was Zielinski and could build around him.”
Having picked up just nine points from a possible 18 in the Premier League, it’s been a difficult start for Liverpool.
In many ways a test against Napoli could not have come at a better time for a side who desperately need to prove a point to themselves, in order to get back to winning ways and restore some consistency back into their season.
With Klopp claiming that he is a late bloomer and needs longer to achieve in his honest and reflective assessment, he will be hoping that today is the day for that achievement to come through.
A win for Liverpool and a positive performance from the likes of Salah, who has struggled to hit the heights of last season, would work wonders for a club who have suffered a painfully stuttering start.
