Liverpool vs Napoli
It’s the moment of truth for Jurgen Klopp and his men: are they ready for another run in the Champions League final or is the magic of the 2017-18 campaign gone?
Liverpool have their destiny in their own hands. Win 1-0 or by two clear goals and they are through to the knockout stages, but lose or draw (and any other result) and they are out of the running for a trip to Wanda Metropolitano in June.
Napoli already won against Liverpool last October and will see that victory as a source of confidence. They know for a fact that a defeat here will likely cost them their place in the next round, so they are also expected to go all out and make life difficult for the Reds.
Talking Points
Liverpool are serious in their bid to qualify for the next round, and they geared up well heading to their must-win encounter versus Napoli.
Klopp’s charges reclaimed the top spot in the Premier League with a masterclass performance against AFC Bournemouth. The Reds used a spectacular second-half display to run riot and finish the game 0-4 against Eddie Howe’s boys.
Even more great news, Mohamed Salah is seemingly finding his rhythm after a tumultuous start to his second season with Liverpool. The Egyptian King bagged a hat-trick against Bournemouth, bringing his tally to six goals and two assists in their last seven league games.
Salah has scored only two times in five Champions League outings for Liverpool this campaign, but his recent performances certainly raise hopes up that he can rediscover his 2017-18 self and deliver the club to the promised land.
The only problem for the Merseyside club is injuries to key players. Klopp has some issues to address at the back, with centre-back Dejan Lovren a doubt due to concussion and defender Joe Gomez ruled out with a leg fracture.
It doesn’t help that the likes of Dominic Solanke (groin strain), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (ACL) and Nathaniel Clyne (knock) are already sidelined due to various fitness problems.
On the other hand, Napoli will be hoping for the best in their visit to Anfield. They stymied Liverpool’s high-octane offence in their October clash and came out 1-0 winners behind a late, late Lorenzo Insigne goal.
The Italian side is currently second in the Serie A and is, in fact, coming off a 4-0 victory over Frosinone in their latest league game.
The Partneopei are unbeaten in 12 straight games in all competitions, last losing to Juventus in the Serie A in September.
Insigne and Dries Mertens top score Napoli with 10 markers each, and they will undoubtedly be tasked to anchor the offence when they face the trifecta of Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.
Napoli are the leaders of Group B and need just a draw to qualify. With that said, it might not be wrong to expect Carlo Ancelotti’s outfit to buckle up defensively as well.
History
Napoli pulled off one of the best Champions league 2018 results when they beat Liverpool, and they have more than proven that their rise was no fluke as they remain one of only six teams in the whole competition to stay undefeated.
Barcelona, Porto, Bayern, Ajax and Lyon are the only other teams who can boast the honour of having an immaculate record this year.
In contrast, Liverpool have only two wins and three losses. They have also lost their last two in the UCL, succumbing 2-0 to Red Star Belgrade before going down to Paris-Saint Germain 2-1.
If Liverpool should be happy about one thing, it’s the fact that they will be playing at home. Remarkably, the Reds are really good at home, having won their last four games at Anfield.
They also have four clean sheets in their last five home matches and conceded just one goal during that stretch.
Betting Tip
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Liverpool vs Napoli | Total Goal 0-1 @ 5.20 |
| December 12, 04:00 (GMT+8) |
This match-up could go either way. While the Champions League 2018 odds at SBOBET point to a one-sided affair, I doubt that will be the case. After all, both Liverpool and Napoli are fighting for survival.
Both sides have top-quality strikers, so the general consensus is that their final battle will be high-scoring—especially now that a win matters. However, I think the opposite will happen.
We should remember that Liverpool need a 1-0 win at the least to move on, while Napoli will survive with a draw, even a goalless one. Considering that, I see the two teams focusing more on the defensive end and not taking risks.
Not to mention that both squads will want to keep a clean sheet, given that conceding will have a major implication on the final group standing.
I do see one team winning here, but it should be a low-scoring affair.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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