CAUGHT NAPPING!

Klopp fuming as dozy Reds allow Italians to grab last-gasp winner

LIVERPOOL got what they deserved as Lorenzo Insigne snatched a dramatic last-gasp winner for Napoli.

The Italian forward has been on fire and, after his side dominated this game but missed a stack of chances, he struck with the final act of a poor game to convert a Jose Callejon rightwing cross from close range.

Defeat was exactly what Jurgen Klopp’s team deserved after a lifeless display in Naples.

Napoli had hit the bar through Dries Mertens and saw Joe Gomez clear from the line as the verve and energy of an incredible start to the campaign disappeared for the Reds on a miserable night of pouring rain in the Italian south.

Kop boss Klopp was visibly upset with a shocking performance from the Reds, who couldn’t even pass to each other at times and who failed to feed a forward line that was simply unable to get into the game.

Liverpool barely produced a chance worthy of the name and didn’t test former Arsenal keeper David Ospina in the Napoli goal, with no shots on target.

And only a brilliant display from their two centre-halves Gomez and Virgil van Dijk prevented the emphatic victory the Italians deserved.

Klopp had surprised everyone by relegating captain Jordan Henderson to the bench, despite recognising just how tough it is to visit such as passionate stadium as the San

Paolo before the game.

His idea was to use the craft of Naby Keita between the lines to find space and beat Napoli’s energetic press.

And even though Keita started badly by giving away the ball to gift the home side a chance, the plan slowly began to work.

Keita had lost possession to Insigne early on, allowing the lively striker a shot across Alisson that crept just the wrong side of the far post, but from there his running began to cause the Italians problems.

So it was a blow to Klopp and his men to see him carried off (below) after just 17 minutes following a challenge from Insigne, forcing the Reds into a tactical change which disrupted their flow

They took a long time to restructure as Henderson slipped into the holding role and Gini Wijnaldum moved forward, and it robbed them of the quickbreaking threat which had sent both Mo Salah and Sadio Mane racing forward early on. Indeed Napoli took a grip on the game before the interval and after the half-hour Arkadiusz Milik turned Van Dijk in the box and fired off a powerful firsttime shot that Alisson did well to beat out.

Liverpool had lost on just two of their previous eight visits to Italy but were living dangerously deep into the first half as Napoli used the quick-moving combination of Insigne and Milik to unsettle the visiting defence.

Van Dijk though, was imperious, producing at least five interceptions as he stood between Napoli and the goal their play deserved.

Their stadium may be jaded and unloved to the point of unsafe but their team has a youthful energy that unsettled Klopp’s side.

Insigne, who before the game had singled out Roberto Firmino, rather than Salah, as Liverpool’s most dangerous forward, looked particularly menacing.

Klopp will have to file this one down as one to forget because Liverpool didn’t record a shot on target and only escaped a hammering because of some timid finishing from the Italians.

The results leaves the Reds with work to do as they trail both Napoli and PSG in their group. Serious questions will be asked about a lack of penetration from a team that was found badly wanting.