No excuses from Klopp after loss
– Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said his side could only blame themselves after the last year’s Champions League runners-up were overrun by Napoli before Lorenzo Insigne’s late winner gave the Italians a 1-0 win to go top of Group C on Wednesday.
“We were not good enough and if you are not good enough, you’ll lose and that happened to us tonight. That’s it,” said Klopp.
“Napoli played a really
Naples
good game, we didn’t, and that’s why they deserve the three points.”
Lorenzo Insigne scored after 90 minutes in a game Napoli dominated from the start with substitute Dries Mertens also hitting the bar.
The hosts had the better chances throughout as Insigne, Jose Callejon, Fabian Ruiz and Arkadiusz Milik all threatened under-pressure Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson.
London
Mauricio Pochettino admitted Tottenham had only themselves to blame for Lionel Messi’s mesmerising masterclass in Barcelona’s 4-2 Champions League win at Wembley.
Pochettino’s side found it impossible to subdue Messi as Barcelona ended their three-match winless streak in emphatic style.
The Spanish champions punished a howler from Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to take a second-minute lead through Philippe Coutinho.
Ivan Rakitic volleyed a stunning second goal for Barcelona before Harry Kane reduced the deficit after the break.
That set the stage for Messi to seize the spotlight again as he netted twice either side of Erik Lamela’s effort for Tottenham.
Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis – who hired three-time Champions League-winning coach Carlo Ancelotti this season in place of Maurizio Sarri – hailed their success.
“Big win against a great team! Ancelotti worthy of his fame,” wrote De Laurentiis on Twitter.
Insigne’s winner ensures they are top of Group C with four points, one more than Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain. –
Messi’s brace was just reward for an irresistible display from the Argentina legend.
Messi already has five goals in the Champions League this season after hitting a hat-trick against PSV Eindhoven in Barcelona’s group opener.
But Tottenham boss Pochettino claimed his side had made it easy on Messi with the error-prone start that forced them to throw players forward, leaving spaces at the back that the deadly Messi was able to exploit.
“Messi doesn’t surprise me. We conceded the first goal and it is very difficult because that sets the game. We paid for that,” Pochettino said.
“After 45 minutes we didn’t concede one chance to Messi. Of course in the second half when it’s 2-0 and you give more space, it’s so difficult to stop this type of player.
“He is the best in the world. With a lot of space it is unbelievable how he runs and dribbles.
“In the second half he was decisive. He’s got that capacity and hunger for scoring.”
Pochettino was frustrated that Tottenham gifted the initiative to Barca so easily, but he took heart from the way they pushed their star-studded opponents harder in the second half.
“For me, the most important was the second half. We did everything to come back. We showed character and I’m so proud of the players.”
Tottenham’s hopes of qualifying for the last-16 from Group B are now in grave danger after two successive defeats.
Having lost to Inter Milan and Barcelona, Pochettino knows Tottenham must win their next European fixture at PSV Eindhoven later in October.
“We still need to play four games. We have it in our hands now,” he said. –