Liverpool have fallen to a late 1-0 defeat at the hands of Napoli in their Champions League Group C clash at the Stadio San Paolo on Wednesday.
The visitors had looked on course for a hard-fought point despite a laboured performance severely lacking the intensity we are used to seeing from Jurgen Klopp’s side, but Lorenzo Insigne snatched the victory for Napoli with a winner in the final minute of normal time.
It was a deserved victory for the home side, and one which blows Group C wide open with Napoli moving top on four points, one ahead of Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool on three apiece.
A misplaced pass from Keita gifted Napoli the best chance of the half after just 11 minutes, but Lorenzo Insigne could not take full advantage as he sent a low effort bobbling narrowly past the far post.
Insigne threatened again five minutes later when he curled a long-range effort high and wide of the target, and there was more cause for concern for Liverpool shortly afterwards as Keita went down innocuously off the ball clutching his back.
The summer signing ended up needing to be stretchered off, and his replacement Henderson quickly set about trying to inject some energy and enthusiasm into Liverpool’s lacklustre start.
It was proving to be an arduous night for both sides, though, and Liverpool’s best attacking moment of the opening 45 minutes saw Georginio Wijnaldum drag a tame effort comfortably wide from range shortly before the half-hour mark.
The Reds reached half time without registering a shot on target for only the second time this calendar year, but there was a bit of work for Alisson Becker to do when he collected an Arkadiusz Milik effort on the turn at the second attempt.
It was Napoli who continued looked the most like scoring , though, and Liverpool’s best moment of the second half saw Mohamed Salah curl his effort wide after the ball had only been cleared as far as the Egyptian 20 yards from goal.
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