Napoli put in a monumental performance on their return to the Champions League. The Partonopei blew Liverpool away in a fully packed Maradona (4-1) and take second place in their group. Forza Napoli Press presents four takeaways from a night to remember.
Flying start
Napoli’s start against Liverpool might have been gli Azzurri’s best this season. After only five minutes, the hosts were awarded a penalty after a James Milner handball. Piotr Zielinski, who was awarded the Man of the Match award, calmly put the ball in the back of the net. Napoli remained strong and Liverpool’s high line was perfect for the Partenopei’s style of play. They overwhelmed Liverpool in the first 30 minutes.
It was the polar opposite of Napoli’s start against Lazio on Saturday. At the Olimpico, Napoli were the ones to concede in the opening five minutes. The Neapolitans clearly learned their lesson, refusing to make the same mistake twice.
Kvaramania
No one’s needs convincing about Kvaratskhelia’s talent. The Georgian star showcased his class with goals against Hellas Verona, Monza and Lazio. But he can do it outside of Italy too. Kvara once again showed he isn’t afraid to make dribbles and take risks, just like he does in Italy’s top flight. The courage he plays with is truly remarkable to see.
Kvaratskhelia delivered an assist after effortlessly averting Trent Alexander-Arnold and outmuscling Joe Gomez, both of whom struggled to to mark the winger. Giovanni Simeone was on the receiving end of the Georgian’s cross, side-footing it past Alisson. Apart from the assist, Kvara also should’ve had a goal to his name, but his shot from close range was cleared off the line by Virgil van Dijk. He also played an important role in Anguissa’s goal, which started with Kvara dispossessing Gomez in the Liverpool half.
With another strong performance, the name ‘Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’ is now in European headlines. If there were any doubts remaining, they will surely be gone by now.
Super Anguissa
To be honest, the whole midfield deserves praise. Piotr Zielinski scored two and assisted one while Stanislav Lobotka was solid as ever, but André-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s performance yesterday was something special. The Cameroonian midfielder, who was seemingly everywhere on the pitch, was impossible to dispossess and his passing was on point.
In addition to bossing the midfield, Anguissa was also an attacking force against the Reds. First, he played the pass to Osimhen which lead to Napoli’s second penalty kick. Shortly thereafter, Anguissa doubled Napoli’s lead after a quick combination with Zielinski – the cherry on top of an already amazing cake.
Here are some of Anguissa’ stats from yesterday to back that up: 88% pass accuracy, 100% successful dribbles, 5 interceptions, 100% accurate long balls, 13 recoveries and 71% ground duels won (via Fotmob).
Killing the game
After the break, Napoli quickly made it 4-0. The goal was scored by, you guessed it, Piotr Zielinski. The visitors reacted quickly with a Luis Díaz goal to bring the deficit back to three.
A Merseyside storm followed, with Liverpool trying desperately to get back into the game. Napoli defended well and even troubled the LFC defence on the counter. Before the hour mark, Kvaratskhelia and Matteo Politano were taken off for Alessio Zerbin and Hirving Lozano, respectively. A drop in quality at the front was evident, exacerbated by the Osimhen injury before halftime, but the Neapolitans were still creating dangerous chances.
Liverpool failed to get back into the match, thanks to Napoli’s excellent defence. After roughly 70 minutes, the tempo slowed and Napoli maintained their comfortable lead.
Of course, it was a good time to play Liverpool. They haven’t had a great start to the Premier League campaign. It was an excellent opportunity for Napoli to keep a near-perfect home record against the Reds in tact. Nevertheless, being able to kill the game against last season’s Champions League and Premier League runners-up is something to be impressed by.
