Liverpool has a long way to go to regain the form that took it to the final of last season's Champions League. (More Football News)
Napoli overwh🍨elmed the English power with three first-half goal𝓀s in a 4-1 win in the opening round of group play.
Piotr Zielinski converted a penalty, André-Frank Zambo Anguissa doubled th🍸e lead after the half-hour mark and substitute Giovanni Simeone — the son of Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone — scored on his com✱petition debut just before the break.
Zielinski added another two minutes after the break before Luis Díaz finally pulled one back for Liverpool on a counterattack in 🌜the 49th.
Liverpool has now failed to win all four of its viꦓsits to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, while coach Jürgen Klopp dropped to 0-4 in his career in Naples. Klopp was sent off during a loss w🀅hile coaching Borussia Dortmund in 2013, then was at the helm for Liverpool defeats in 2018 and 2019.
Ajax beat Rangers 4-0 in th💦e other Group A match earlier.
Liverpool has started the Premier League season with ju🍌st two wins from six games. Napoli is unbeaten in five Serie A matches an⭕d leads the league with 12 goals scored despite the offseason departures of captain Lorenzo Insigne, all-time leading scorer Dries Mertens and defensive stalwart Kalidou Koulibaly.
The recent form🌊 of the two teams held as Napoli got off to a blistering start.
๊In the openingဣ minute, Victor Osimhen beat Liverpool's offside trap and dribbled around goalkeeper Alisson before striking a shot off the outside of the post from a sharp angle.
Four minutes later, Zielinski sent Alisson the wrong way with his spot kick after Liverpool captain James Milner deflected a shot from the Polan🏅d midfielder with hi꧟s arm.
Osimhen then won another penalty after Virgil van Dijk stepped on his boot but Alisson blocked the ensuing spot kick from the 🍌Nigeria center forward.
Zielinski turned provider for 💛Zambo Anguissa, who finished off a give-and-take with the Pole to make it 2-0.
Simeone, who had come on for an aching Osimhen, tapped in a cross from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the 21-year-old Georgia 💜winger who has been tearing up Serie A with four goals in five matches. Kvaratskhelia dribbled by two players on the left flank before setting up Simeone perfectly.
Zielinski's second came on a rebound of h🌳is own shot after Alisson failed🦩 to collect.
Liverpool, which lost last season's final 1-0 to Real Madrid, is sorely missing departed forward Sadio Mane, who transferred to Bayern Munich. Injuries are also hitting hard in central midfield, while fourth-choice Joe Gomez looked rusty at ce💝nter back.
