Liverpool bank on Salah in key Napoli clash Buoyant Tottenham face Barca in make-or-break tie
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Reds bank on Egyptian’s form, Anfield record in survival battle vs Italian side
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool must again rely on fortress Anfield to inflict Napoli’s first Champions League defeat of the season if they are to avoid the disappointment of a group stage exit just over six months since appearing in last season’s final.
The five-time European champions will most likely even have to win by two goals if they concede due to Napoli’s 1-0 triumph when the sides last met in September.
Yet, such a scenario is nothing new for Liverpool and even rekindles fond memories of similar permutations when they hosted Olympiakos in the final Champions League group game of the 2004-05 season.
Brazilian legend Rivaldo’s early free-kick left the hosts needing three goals, which they got in dramatic fashion in the second half as Steven Gerrard’s spectacular strike sealed a famous 3-1 win four minutes from time.
Inspired by Gerrard, the Reds went on to win their last Champions League title that season with a far inferior squad to the one that is off to a club record unbeaten start and top of the Premier League after 16 games.
Overcome the huge challenge facing them in midweek and Liverpool will again be among the favourites to lift the Champions League in Madrid next June.
However, in stark contrast to their consistency in the Premier League, Juergen Klopp’s men have lost three of their five European encounters in Group C to put their chances of reaching the last 16 in serious peril.
There is some comfort for Klopp that all three defeats came on the road to Napoli, Red Star Belgrade and Paris SaintGermain, while Liverpool haven’t lost in 18 European games at Anfield.
The German coach also isn’t as reliant on an individual figure for inspiration as Rafael Benitez’s vintage 14 years ago were on Gerrard.
The signings of centre-back Virgil van Dijk and goalkeeper Alisson Becker over the past year have drastically improved Liverpool’s defensive record.
this season where no team has yet made it to the last 16. While Napoli are group leaders, unbeaten so far, but they haven't yet qualified.
with Juergen Klopp’s men required to beat the Italians 1-0 or with a difference of two goals. PSG, however, need just a point to against Red Star to qualify.
But the focus will be on Mohamed Salah to produce the goods up front after looking more like the player that scored 44 goals in his debut campaign at Anfield with a hat-trick in a 4-0 win at Bournemouth on Saturday.
Liverpool rode the free-scoring form of Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, who each
hit top gear in Liverpool’s last game, scoring a hat-trick against Bournemouth and the Reds will want him to continue that run against Napoli, who are on a 12-match unbeaten run.
they’ll march on to the field with renewed confidence given that they edged past Manchester City to become the new Premier League leaders at the weekend.
of the sternest tests in European football when they take on Barcelona at the Nou Camp. Barcelona are already assured of the top spot but Mauricio Pochettino’s men will progress only if they manage to perform better than Inter Milan, who face PSV. With PSV out of the competition, it remains to be seen whether Inter or Tottenham make the cut.
task for Spurs to match up to Barcelona away from home. But they would want to take heart from their efforts last year when they held Real Madrid at home. Barca are unbeaten in 28 CL home matches and Spurs’ morale won’t be boosted by the fact that the Spaniards have lost only twice in 33 home games against English time Barcelona will go through to the Champions League round of 16 undefeated, if i Spurs don’t beat them times Napoli have won in England in six previous visits scored 10 Champions League goals, to reach last season’s final.
Salah’s weekend treble took his tally for the season to 12, but the Egyptian’s only two goals in the Champions League came in a routine 4-0 win over Red Star in October.
“(He was) back to his best, he has been really good this season. He has probably been a bit frus- trated with himself but that just shows you the high standards he has got,” insisted Liverpool leftback Andy Robertson after Salah’s magical display on England’s south coast.
“Whatever you do in a football game, you need someone to finish it off,” added Klopp.
“What Mo did around his two goals in the second half was just exceptional. I don’t know at the moment a lot of players who would have scored these two goals,” he added.
Against a Napoli side that has only failed to score in three games this season, Liverpool may well need another two or more from Salah or another source to avoid a big European night at Anfield falling flat. LONDON: Tottenham are sitting pretty in the Premier League but face a potentially season-defining match against Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men are currently third behind Liverpool and Manchester City. That they have managed that despite playing in their temporary home of Wembley and after a World Cup in which so many of their players featured until the final weekend, makes their achievement all the more impressive.
However, with City and Liverpool in such rampant form, few expect Spurs to win the Premier League, putting increased emphasis on their match against the Spanish league leaders.
Pochettino must somehow find a way past Lionel Messi’s Barcelona to reach the knockout stages but he remains positive ahead of the daunting trip to the Camp Nou to face the five-time European champions.
“It will be a massive game. They have qualified for the next stage but in the Champions League no one is going to give a present,” said the Argentine, who left Harry Kane out of the starting line-up for the 2-0 win away to Leicester on Saturday.
“We need to win and deserve to win. The mentality is going to be 200 percent to try to win. We are going to arrive in the best condition, Barcelona are one of the best teams in Europe.”
Spurs took just one point from their first three games in Group B, losing to Inter Milan and Barcelona and drawing with PSV.
But they beat PSV at home and then scored late through Christian Eriksen to beat Inter 1-0 at Wembley, leaving them in second place on seven points, the same as the Italians. With Barcelona guaranteed to top the group, Spurs must match Inter’s result to guarantee progress. Pochettino has in the past talked about how only the Premier League or Champions League title will take the club to the “next level”, even live on
though the trophy cabinet has been empty since 2008.
Spurs have played in the Champions League for the past three seasons but they cannot boast the pedigree or history of Manchester United or Liverpool in Europe’s top club competition.
They have only progressed beyond the Champions League group stage twice, reaching the quarter-finals in 2011.
SHAKHTAR HOST LYON 700KM FROM ‘HOME’
KIEV: It is a big week for Shakhtar Donetsk and their fans as they prepare to host Lyon in the final round of Champions League group games on Wednesday.
Victory over the French side will see Shakhtar book their place alongside Group F winners Manchester City in the last 16.
A draw will be enough for Lyon at Shakhtar’s expense, so for the Ukrainians it is all-or-nothing.
But the spectre of war has cast a shadow over the match with the fans now expected to travel over 700 kilometres (435 miles) to watch their own team ‘at home’.
The reason? War. And the introduction of martial law.
In late November, Russia seized three Ukrainian navy vessels and detained 24 crew members in the most dangerous incident in years between the ex-soviet neighbours.
In response, Kiev imposed martial law for 30 days in 10 regions that border Russia, including Shakhtar’s temporary home in Kharkiv.
That in turn prompted UEFA to move the Shakhtar-lyon match to Kiev.