Liverpool struck two late goals to sink Napoli and end the Italian side’s club-record 21-game unbeaten run in all competitions with a 2-0 defeat at Anfield. The result also ended a 13-game winning streak for Napoli.
With both sides already through to the UEFA Champions League knockout stages, Liverpool started brightly as Curtis Jones dinked just over from Mohamed Salah’s threaded pass. Napoli responded and thought they’d taken the lead, but VAR chalked off Leo Ostigard’s second-half bullet header after a very long wait to deny the defender his second goal in as many Champions League appearances.
The tie then seemed to fizzle out, but just when it looked destined to end goalless, Salah popped up to convert Darwin Nunez’s header at the back post, before Nunez poached one of his own with a last-gasp tap-in.
Contents
Positives
Tuesday marked more Champions League minutes for Jones, who looks like the real deal at times. It’s so easy to forget he’s still only 21. Good sides can win ugly, and that’s exactly what Jurgen Klopp’s men did against the Serie A leaders.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)
Negatives
Despite their win, Liverpool were unable to assert their dominance over a side that have been a real handful for them in recent years and this one could have ended very differently if not for a matter of inches in both penalty areas.
Manager rating (out of 10, 10 = best)
Jurgen Klopp, 6 — The charismatic Liverpool manager celebrated 400 games with three points against an extremely well-drilled outfit. What a journey it’s been for the Reds during his tenure, although he probably won’t remember this one in a few years’ time.
Player ratings (players introduced after 70 minutes = no rating)
GK Alisson, 6 — Got his body behind a drilled effort from on-loan Spurs man Tanguy Ndombele, but otherwise untested in the opening 45. Gratefully grasped onto a first-time strike from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia that took a nasty deflection off Trent Alexander-Arnold.
DF Konstantinos…
Source : espn
