• You may have to login or register before you can post and view our exclusive members only forums.
    To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Napoli (A) - CL

Forums Unread posts
Status
Not open for further replies.
Really looking forward to this game - I always do when we play Italian sides being a Serie A aficionado 🙂

It's an interesting time to be playing Napoli - I think we are getting them at the best possible time within the last few seasons.

Under bit of a transition season under Ancelotti - have had some quality depart (Jorginho, Reina) without really replacing them adequately. They are a side filled with good players - but lacking in quality leadership to allow them to compete with Juventus and perform like they did last season.

Hamsik's not been at his usual best - more so to Ancelotti's tactical setup. Some media saying he won't start but I fully expect to see him starting given Napoli are at home.

Looking forward to see how Insigne goes - I've really been advocating his signing for a few seasons now, and he's at a cross roads atm with the Napoli board - they might cash in on him at end of season and I think he would fit perfectly into our style. His style/physique/technique is so similar to Coutinho.

Also, our popular anthem Allez Allez Allez ... begins here.

 
Formation wise, Sarri played a 4-3-3 in every match, while Ancelotti usually changes his shape depending on the opponents. He started with a 4-3-3 at the beginning of the season, but the main shape of the team is 4-4-2.

The first difference is up front with Arkadiusz Milik, not Dries Mertens, partnering Lorenzo Insigne in attack. Ancelotti prefers the lanky Pole because he is physically stronger than Mertens, while he views the Belgian as an alternative to Insigne because they are quite similar players. Ancelotti has utilised Insigne in a more central role this season so that the forward can link defence and attack, while staying closer to the goal, with the Italy international responding with five goals in just eight games.

The other main difference between the two coaches is the position and role of Marek Hamsik, with the playmaker operating in central midfield under Ancelotti, like the now-departed Jorginho did under Sarri. The playmaker is now the man who organises the play in Naples, while the spiky-haired Slovakian was stationed further forward as part of the front three under Sarri.

However, the experiment is not proving that successful so far, although Ancelotti is a stubborn man and will not be easily persuaded to change his mind, especially given how he transformed Andrea Pirlo into a deep-lying central midfielder during his time in charge at San Siro.

Obviously when you change your coach, the start of the season is never that straightforward because the team has to adapt to a new style of play and different ideas, and that is what is happening with Napoli. But they are more stable than last month ...

Napoli's main strengths are in attack. With the qualities of Insigne or Mertens, combined with the physicality of Milik, they could now close the gap with the heavyweights of Europe. The team scores goals for fun, but unlike under Sarri, they can be got at defensively.

As a result, Jurgen Klopp's side should get joy through the middle, with Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane sure to exploit the space the hosts offer in this part of the field.
However, if Napoli do play a 4-4-2 on Wednesday, then there will be less width for Liverpool to attack down.

Predicted line up (4-4-2): Ospina; Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Mario Rui; Callejon, Allan, Hamsik, Zielinski; Milik, Insigne
 
Frogfish said:
The other main difference between the two coaches is the position and role of Marek Hamsik, with the playmaker operating in central midfield under Ancelotti, like the now-departed Jorginho did under Sarri. The playmaker is now the man who organises the play in Naples, while the spiky-haired Slovakian was stationed further forward as part of the front three under Sarri.

However, the experiment is not proving that successful so far, although Ancelotti is a stubborn man and will not be easily persuaded to change his mind, especially given how he transformed Andrea Pirlo into a deep-lying central midfielder during his time in charge at San Siro.
Click to expand...

And Hamsik as a deep-lying playmaker will never work - it was worth a try but it will never work.

Defensively he is not smart enough - nor is his positional game anywhere near what Pirlo's level used to be, not even close to Pirlo on a poor day.

The thing about Sarri is that he was smart - his system was dictated by the players he had at his disposal. Ancelotti, having lost his midfield maestro Jorginho, is attempting to force a system for which he does not have the squad for.

I can understand the trial by Ancelotti given that there is a severe lack in quality in that department across the entire league & given Napoli's other attacking options that would allow for such an experiment to take place.

I can see us overpowering Napoli in midfield and the flanks quite easily - I expect nothing short of 3 points, even at a difficult place like Napoli.
 
I Guess they are a bit scared for tonight given that we gave them a hell of a beating at Anfield. Training match yes, but we have kept a decent form since so they must be worried what we can throw at them. I suspect they go out very deep to not find themselves a couple of goals down early. However at Anfield it was a schocking lack of agressivity from them that gave us the chances. Wonder how much they have been able to adress this over the Serie A start. They currently sit in 2nd, but they have already 10 goals against so that might suggest that they are struggling a bit with the agressivity part. This can be the game Salah need to get the ball rolling his way. Mane should also find spaces here. Important Calls for the manager but I trust him to get it right.
 
LeTallecWiz said:
Last time we played them away, this was our team:

42849581_2209897239042273_2837481396916715520_n.jpg


We've come a long way.
Click to expand...
Sweet lord!!! What an abomination of a team. Scary thing is who is actually missing. Gerrard being the obvious one.

Anyway - I'll take a draw I suppose but only if Klopp is resting loads of players for Citeh. I'd deffo play Kieta and Fabinho as well.
 
Judging by this pic they all look like having fun. I fucking love VVD - Just look at that grin!

0_Champions-League-Liverpool-Training.jpg
 
Naby Keita returns to the Liverpool starting line-up for this evening’s Champions League clash with Napoli.

The No.8 is drafted into the Reds’ starting XI in Italy, replacing Jordan Henderson in the only change made from the deployed at Chelsea on Saturday.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Milner, Wijnaldum, Keita, Mane, Salah, Firmino.
Subs: Mignolet, Fabinho, Lovren, Henderson, Sturridge, Moreno, Shaqiri.
 
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FACTS AND FIGURES
  • Napoli have only won twice in their last nine Champions League games (W2 D1 L6), although both of those victories came at home.
  • Liverpool lost just one of their six away games in the Champions League last season (W3 D2 L1), netting an impressive 20 goals - the only other team to have scored as many away goals in a single Champions League campaign was Real Madrid in 2013-14 (also 20).
  • Napoli failed to score last time out against FK Crvena Zvezda; only the third time in 29 Champions League games they've failed to find the back of the net.
  • Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti has never lost in the Champions League in four previous matches against Liverpool (W3 D1), however that one draw was in the 2005 final, when the Reds came from 3-0 down at half-time to Ancelotti's Milan side to draw 3-3 before triumphing on penalties to win their 5th European Cup/Champions League title.
  • Roberto Firmino has been directly involved in 18 goals in just 14 Champions League appearances for Liverpool (11 goals, 7 assists).
  • Dries Mertens has been directly involved in nine of Napoli's last 14 Champions League goals at the Stadio San Paolo, scoring six whilst assisting three.
  • Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in three goals in his last two starts against Napoli in all competitions (one goal, two assists), with these coming in Serie A whilst he was with Roma.
 
tombrown said:
Naby Keita returns to the Liverpool starting line-up for this evening’s Champions League clash with Napoli.

The No.8 is drafted into the Reds’ starting XI in Italy, replacing Jordan Henderson in the only change made from the deployed at Chelsea on Saturday.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Milner, Wijnaldum, Keita, Mane, Salah, Firmino.
Subs: Mignolet, Fabinho, Lovren, Henderson, Sturridge, Moreno, Shaqiri.
Click to expand...
THANK YOU!!!
 
Probably looking at getting CL qualification secured early, so theres no pressure in the last few group games.
 
Also, I always remember being pissed off at Utd cos we'd expect them to have a few bad league results around the champions league group stage, yet they'd usually be able to rest players in the last couple of games cos they were safely through.

I suppose the 'bird in the hand' phrase applies here.
 
FoxForceFive said:
Best case scenario we'll be three up by halftime, so we can take off a couple of our best players!
Click to expand...

The great reality of that scenario is that you look at that team and you could probably pick most of them as being essential and in need of being protected.
 
mark1975 said:
The great reality of that scenario is that you look at that team and you could probably most of them as being essential and in need of being protected.
Click to expand...

Yep, exactly what I was pondering as I wrote it actually!

Firmino tends to play well when on a run of games, so perhaps not him. Keita I dont think will start against City. Mane I'd take off if we had the chance, Salah, who knows? Maybe he needs more rest, maybe he needs to play himself into real form (although he's getting better game by game IMO), Milner, I'd definitely rest, VVD had that injury, so I'd probably take him off too.

So in order, IF we're comfortably ahead, it'd be:

Milner
Mane
VVD
 
Could do with an easy win tonight, given the match at the weekend. A win also pretty much seals qualification too.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom