The UEFA Champions League is finally back, with the 2022/23 season kicking off on Tuesday amid much excitement. Several thrilling fixtures took place on day 1 of Matchday 1, with Chelsea suffering a shock defeat away to Dinamo Zagreb while Mbappe inspired PSG to a 2-1 victory over Juventus.
However, Wednesday is here and one of the standout fixtures scheduled for September 7 will see Liverpool take on none other than Napoli. These two European sides will reignite their recent rivalry and lock horns at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 3 p.m. ET in what should be an intriguing affair.
While Jurgen Klopp's men are tipped as one of the favorites for the title, the Merseyside giants haven't enjoyed an ideal start to the 2022/23 Premier League campaign. While the season is early, Salah and Co. currently sit in seventh and are six points behind the current leaders Arsenal.
Liverpool head into this tie on the back of their recent Merseyside Derby, with Klopp's men traveling to Goodison Park on Saturday. Despite facing an Everton side that many predict to go down, the English giants weren't able to triumph over their bitter rivals, instead drawing nil-nil with Lampard's men.
This isn't the only set-back they have suffered. There were the back-to-back draws away to Fulham and at home to Crystal Palace at the start of the season, leaving the FA Community Shield winners with only two wins out of six. Nonetheless, the majority of their problems are due to injuries, with the likes of Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita being sidelined.
The UEFA Champions League will give the Reds a great opportunity to turn things around. Last time out, the Premier League side came achingly close to a seventh title but lost to Real Madrid in the final. However, Wednesday's fixture won't be a walk in the park as they will have to get past Napoli on Matchday 1.
Unlike Liverpool, the Partenopei have enjoyed their start to the Serie A season in comparison with their closest rivals. The Italian giants have played five fixtures so far and out of a possible 15 points, Osimhen and Co. have racked up 11.
While this is only three more than what Liverpool have amassed so far, Napoli sit second in the table, with only a two-point disadvantage separating them from league leaders Atalanta.
Luciano Spalletti's side enter this tie on the back of a crucial 2-1 victory over Lazio but it should be noted that Napoli stumbled in the two games prior to that, drawing with both Fiorentina and Lecce. Can the Italian heavyweights pull off a win over Liverpool or does another disappointing result await them? Tune in to find out.
Team news
Napoli: The hosts will fortunately have Hirving Lozano available despite the Mexican ace being stretchered off the pitch in the win over Lazio after suffering a head clash. Nonetheless, Matteo Politano could deputize instead alongside the in-form Kvaratskhelia while Victor Osimhen is a doubt after suffering a muscular problem.
Liverpool: The visitors have lost another midfielder as Fabio Carvalho failed to make this trip after suffering a dead leg in the Merseyside Derby draw. Keita, the Ox, and Henderson are all injured while Thiago is unlikely to be risked anytime soon despite nearing a return. Calvin Ramsay, Caoimhin Kelleher and Ibrahima Konate are the other men on the sidelines.
Key stats
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Liverpool have managed only one win in their last three encounters with Napoli.
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Additionally, the Reds have failed to score in their last three trips to Naples and will be looking to end that run on Wednesday.
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The Serie A giants are unbeaten in four out of their five clashes with the Merseyside heavyweights.
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Klopp's men are winless in four out of their last six matches.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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