Liverpool destroyed in shambolic 'horror story'

By Sam Worthington with AP

Liverpool's woes person deepened aft being torn isolated successful a 4-1 nonaccomplishment to Napoli successful the opening crippled of their Champions League campaign.

Jurgen Klopp's Reds are seventh successful the Premier League aft winning conscionable 2 of their opening six games and superior questions volition present beryllium asked aft a damaging night.

Piotr Zielinski scored a brace for Napoli, who are 2nd successful Serie A, with Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Giovanni Simeone besides uncovering the backmost of the net.

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Liverpool's Mohamed Salah astatine the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. (AP)

The Italians led 3-0 astatine halftime.

"It's a classical fearfulness communicative successful Naples if you're of a Liverpool persuasion," Lars Sivertsen said connected Stan Sport.

"It was 3-0 astatine halftime, it could person been 5 - they missed a sitter and missed a penalty. They've been tormenting Liverpool each night.

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"It's conscionable been terrible... they're making truthful galore elemental mistakes successful the backmost four.

"This archetypal fractional was worrying due to the fact that we're seeing bully players marque mistakes they don't usually make. Virgil van Dijk does not look similar himself, James Milner unluckily looks similar Father Time's travel for him astatine this level.

"I wonderment if assurance has been rocked a bit. Some of this defending is conscionable shambolic."

Liverpool has present failed to triumph each 4 of its visits to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, portion Klopp dropped to 0-4 successful his vocation successful Naples.

Klopp was sent disconnected during a nonaccomplishment portion coaching Borussia Dortmund successful 2013, past was astatine the helm for Liverpool defeats successful 2018 and 2019.

The caller signifier of the 2 teams held arsenic Napoli got disconnected to a blistering start.

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In the opening minute, Victor Osimhen bushed Liverpool's offside trap and dribbled astir goalkeeper Alisson earlier striking a changeable disconnected the extracurricular of the station from a crisp angle.

Four minutes later, Zielinski sent Alisson the incorrect mode with his spot footwear aft Liverpool skipper Milner deflected a changeable from the Poland midfielder with his arm.

Osimhen past won different punishment aft van Dijk stepped connected his footwear but Alisson blocked the ensuing spot footwear from the Nigeria halfway forward.

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Zielinski turned supplier for Zambo Anguissa, who finished disconnected a springiness and instrumentality with the Pole to marque it 2-0.

Simeone, who had travel connected for an aching Osimhen, tapped successful a transverse from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the 21-year-old Georgia winger who has been tearing up Serie A with 4 goals successful 5 matches.

Kvaratskhelia dribbled by 2 players connected the near flank earlier mounting up Simeone perfectly.

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Zielinski's 2nd came connected a rebound of his ain changeable aft Alisson failed to collect.

Liverpool, which mislaid past season's last 1-0 to Real Madrid, is sorely missing departed guardant Sadio Mane, who transferred to Bayern Munich.

Injuries are besides hitting hard successful cardinal midfield, portion 4th prime Joe Gomez looked rusty astatine centre back.

Ajax bushed Rangers 4-0 successful the different Group A match.

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