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Liverpool’s 4-1 loss at Napoli’s stadium confirmed that Jurgen Klopp’s squad is in trouble.
Owing to a defence that allows goals easily and a lack of freshness and options due to injuries this season, the Reds appear to be enduring their worst spell in six years and are being asked to “reinvent” themselves, as the German coach so eloquently put it.
Nikos Panagiotopoulos, Minister of National Defense, chimed in on the subject as well.
Commenting on a post on the official account of the Reds, the member of the Greek government suggested the purchase of a first-class right-back and the transfer of Trent Alexander-Arnold to axis in order to help his favorite team from the competitive quagmire.
“Buy a top class full back, push TAA in midfield. Problem solved!” he wrote on Facebook, even getting the approval of some of the club’s fans.
Liverpool’s Champions League campaign got started to a disastrous start in sweltering Naples on Wednesday, as superb Napoli defeated them 4-1.
Victor Osimhen set the tone early, hitting the post in the opening minute, before James Milner gave away a penalty that Piotr Zielinski calmly converted in the fifth minute.
Liverpool, startled into submission, then gave Osimhen the opportunity to test Alisson from 12 yards out after Virgil van Dijk’s mistimed challenge was penalized by VAR review.
Alisson saved the penalty kick effort by the Napoli striker, but Liverpool’s reprieve lasted barely 13 minutes.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia outmuscled Joe Gomez, who endured a grueling 45 minutes before being substituted, allowing Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa to put the ball beyond Liverpool’s helpless goalkeeper.
Shortly before halftime, things went from bad to worse when substitute Giovanni Simeone, who replaced the injured Osimhen, was left unmarked in the six-yard box to convert Kvaratskhelia’s perfect cross.
Two minutes into the second half, Zielinski completed the scoring for Luciano Spalletti’s revamped team to compound Liverpool’s suffering, before Luis Diaz temporarily quieted the raucous home fans by bending a low right-footed shot past Alex Meret.
Diaz, Liverpool’s lone savior on an otherwise oppressive evening, also had a thunderous header saved, while fears in midfield personnel were somewhat allayed by the return of Thiago and the debut of Juventus loanee Arthur – both second-half substitutes.
Liverpool began their Premier League season with two victories in six games and carried that sluggish form into their Group A opening against the second-place team in Serie A.
Liverpool’s porous defense allowed both Osimhen and Zielinski to score within the first quarter of a very one-sided affair. In comparison, Napoli are undefeated in their last five domestic matches and are scoring goals like they’re going out of style.
Osimhen’s sprint to evade Liverpool’s offside trap, move around Alisson, and hit the outside of the post with a shot set the tone for the visitors’ humiliation 102 days after losing the European final to Real Madrid in France.
In southern Italy, the celebrations are certain to continue well into the night, while Liverpool will hope their dismal start to the season has reached its nadir following an embarrassing loss.
Under Klopp, Liverpool have lost all three games at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium; this is their joint-heaviest loss in Champions League competition.
Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool, speaking on BT Sport: “It was really tough to take but I would say not that difficult to explain.
“Firstly, Napoli played really well and we didn’t. That is the first explanation for the defeat. The two penalties we concede, they were both a little unlucky.
“The next two goals we concede are handed to them on a plate. That is not cool and we should have defended better in the first place and, of course, in the last moment as well.
“We were not compact defensively or offensively. Until Thiago entered the pitch I cannot remember one counter-pressing situation. The reason for that is that we are just too wide.
“You could see it on the pitch. We were not working as a team. That is why we lose games. We play in the strongest league in the world and have a tough Champions League group too.
“We have to play in three days against Wolves. If Wolves saw that game tonight they would not stop laughing and would say it is the perfect moment.”
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