Four reasons Liverpool will spank Napoli in the Champions League
By David Gate
No.1 – Dublin Massacre
It was only a preseason game so we have to be careful with huge conclusions, but… we thrashed them. The Reds faced Napoli in on of their final preseason games in Dublin. That game was Alisson’s first appearance in a Liverpool shirt and a comprehensive 5-0 victory.
Mohamed Salah scored. Gini Wijnaldum scored. Jimmy Milner scored, Daniel Sturridge scored. Heck, even Alberto Moreno found the net!
That was no watered down Napoli side either; Lorenzo Insigne, Marek Hamsik, Jose Callejon, Raul Albiol and Kalidou Koulibaly all started. The only notable absentee was Dries Mertens who is no longer a first team starter under Carlo Ancelotti anyway.
This Napoli side have finished in the top two of Serie A twice in the last three seasons. They are very good but were made to look second-rate by Liverpool on that afternoon.
Naby Keita was man-of-the-match that day and we could well see him restored to the first team on Wednesday night. That victory in Dublin must give Liverpool confidence heading into this matchup.