Liverpool 1-1 Napoli match report: Oxlade-Chamberlain sparks static Reds

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain sparked a static Liverpool into life as they drew with Napoli on Wednesday night.

Two excellent teams, high stakes, emotion. This is what a mid-week Champions League tie is supposed to be all about. It was also a game in which Liverpool failed to turn up and Napoli played as if they had the force of Mount Vesuvius behind them.

The opening exchanges of the game were fairly mundane until Mohamed Salah sat down Kalidou Koulibaly, although the Italians would have been encouraged with Fabinho limped off after 17 minutes to be replaced by Georginio Wijnaldum.

If Liverpool fans thought losing Fabinho was a disaster, it was nothing compared to what would come next. Hearts were already in mouths as Virgil van Dijk came away from an aerial challenge limping as he failed to stop Napoli moving forward on the break.

As Giovanni Di Lorenzo played his pass forward, Dejan Lovren decided to leave his man alone, play the offside line and he got punished. Dries Merterns raced on to the through ball, waited, steadied and slotted his slot past Alisson Becker.

Normally a goal for the away side would spark Anfield and the players into life, but it took 35 minutes for Liverpool to force Alex Meret into his first save of the night as van Dijk headed straight at the Italian international.

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That chance seemed to energise Liverpool, who threatened to spark into life with five minutes left of the half. Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino started to combine well and the corners started to come, first Andy Robertson’s awful double take and then James Milner’s better effort, but the Italians held firm.

Frustrations increased, Klopp received a yellow card and then, blissfully, referee Carlos del Cerro Grande signalled the end of the first half.

Liverpool started the opening exchanges of the second 45 with more urgency, but there was a lack of end product throughout the whole side.

The first real chance of the second half came from a mistake as Meret dropped a Jordan Henderson cross, Firmino pounced and it would have been a goal had Koulibaly not flown through the air and deflected the shot behind.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain eventually came on for Joe Gomez after 56 minutes, a move that saw Milner move to right-back. This change saw immediate results on the pitch as Salah found himself free in the box but shot straight at Meret.

But now the chances were coming. Mane passed to Ox, Ox crossed teasingly to Firmino, who headed wide. But this was better, this was more like Liverpool. This was more like Anfield.

And finally Liverpool got their goal. Lovren rose high and powerfully to head home a Milner corner and equalise for Liverpool after 65 minutes. And now the side could smell a victory. Napoli dropped deeper and invited the Reds on.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side never threatened in the second half as their formation dropped into banks of four, but it made life tough for Liverpool – who never properly threatened after the goal and the game finished 1-1.