Italian job
Liverpool can find way out of trouble against Napoli, says Van Dijk
Liverpool have played themselves into a mess in Europe. With a combination of relief and resolve, Jurgen Klopp and Virgil van Dijk welcomed their last chance to make amends. Defeats in Naples, Belgrade and Paris have put last year’s Champions League finalists on the brink going into tonight’s meeting with Napoli, those careless away performances starkly contrasting with their imperious unbeaten form in the Premier League.
Klopp admitted that, in usual circumstances, a side with three losses in five group games should not expect to qualify.
Instead, Liverpool are ready for another sizzling Anfield night as they look for the two-goal victory to guarantee progression, although the permutations mean a 1-0 win would suffice.
“It is our own fault, but we have a way to get out of this,” said Van Dijk. “We have not been at our best in the Champions League, so we deserve to be in this position.
“If we don’t win, we don’t deserve to be in the Champions League. Hopefully, we are going to progress and show that we definitely belong in there.
“At Liverpool, there is always a lot of pressure, but it is good pressure. You want to play in these circumstances. You want to be getting the job done before [the last game], but now we are here.”
Van Dijk dismissed any hints – primarily from neutrals assessing daunting fixture schedules – that an early Champions League exit could help, rather than hinder, Premier League ambitions.
“I don’t think they are Liverpool fans if they are saying that,” said the Dutchman. “I definitely look at the squad and think it can compete on two fronts. We still need to show it.
“We want to compete on the highest level. We are top of the league, but it could change next week. The main thing for us is to do everything we can to go through. I am very confident in my team.”
For Klopp, the tone of such games is set in the Uefa briefing. This is where he is most effervescent before the most meaningful dates, talking excitedly about the possibilities – displaying the dynamism he expects from players and fans.
“I know it will be difficult, but I cannot help but think about it with a smile on my face,” said the German manager. “We are in a good moment for weeks and months as a club and a team. We have to use it. We do not need to make it any bigger than it is, but it is big.
“That is exactly how we want to take it – as an opportunity. The boys are desperate to stay in the competition. They have grown. They have got better and better, but we were not 500 times in a situation where 1-0 is good but 2-1 is not, 3-1 is good again, but 3-2 is not.
“It is a mix of being really lively and making an emotional game of it. It must be. The crowd can be really emotional from the first second. They do not have to wait for
anyone else. They can start before the game if they want. Then we will see what we are doing on the pitch.
“We struggled a lot in Napoli with their build-up. From that point of view, it was the worst game for us since I don’t know when. It was just not good that night, and in the end they could use it in the last second. That is all our responsibility.
“We need to be really active, focused, in the game. They should have to work hard for any chance and then we still have the opportunity to save it. On the other side, we have to score. The only thing that is clear is, if we go 1-0 up, then it is not like it would usually be at 1-0. If they score, we then have to score a second and a third and that is a hard job to do. We have to do the job.”
Dejan Lovren is likely to return to the side after missing the past three matches with concussion. Captain Jordan Henderson could also come back into midfield after being a substitute against Bournemouth on Saturday.
Carlo Ancelotti has enough Anfield experience to ensure the Italians do not succumb to the noise as Roma and Manchester City did last season. Ancelotti won as both Chelsea and Real Madrid manager in the stadium.
“We all know about the intensity they play in these games,” said Ancelotti. “We haven’t come here to sit back, we’ve come here to play our own game.
“I am not too sure what Liverpool will be setting out to do, but I know what we will be aiming for. We can draw on the first game in Naples [a 1-0 win for Napoli in October], it has given us a lot of confidence, and we’d like to put in a repeat performance.
“I hope my players are positive, as they want to play in one of the best stadiums in the world in terms of atmosphere.”
Even the canny Italian’s previous visits may not compare to an all-ornothing European night at Anfield.
“It is all about this game,” said Klopp. “You play the strongest teams and if you want to go through you have to win the games. We didn’t win often enough to be through already. That is our mistake and now we can put it right if we perform.”