A late goal from Mohamed Salah and another from Darwin Núñez deep in stoppage time gave Liverpool a 2-0 over Napoli to close out group play in the Champions League. The Reds still finished in 2nd place in the standings based on goal difference, but the win should give Liverpool lots of momentum. As for Napoli, the loss snaps a club-record 13-match winning streak and denies them their first-ever victory on English soil in 7 tries.
First Half
Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones nearly linked up for a goal in the 5th minute, but Salah's through ball was just a bit too heavy. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put a shot well over the bar in the 9th minute to leave the match scoreless.
After a long spell of both teams trying to gain a foothold in the match, Ibrahima Konate earned a free kick in the 24th minute in a dangerous area. Even though that did not lead to a goal, it did start a string of better play from the home team. The action opened up even more near the half-hour mark. Tanguy Ndombélé forced Alisson into his first save of the night, which directly led to a Reds counter-attack.
Thiago nearly finished the chance, but a diving save from the Napoli keeper to keep the match level. Konate picked up a yellow card in the 36th minute before Salah had a massive chance in the 42nd minute, but the shot was saved and Salah was whistled for offside. As a result, the match remained goalless in the first 45 minutes.
Second Half
Harvey Elliott came on for James Milner to start the 2nd half, but it was Napoli who started on the foot. Kvaratskhelia missed a shot to the left. The visitors appeared to have taken the lead in the 53rd minute on Leo Östigard's diving header, but the goal was disallowed after a lengthy VAR check.
That decision proved to be a big one as it seemed to give life to Liverpool and their supporters at Anfield. Alisson claimed an important save off of the boot of Kvaratskhelia in the 60th minute and Liverpool seemed to have the best chances over the final half-hour of the match. Elliott's attempt in the 66th minute was just high and Trent Alexander-Arnold capped a long spell of possession with a near miss in the 80th.
Salah forced a save and that was a precursor to the goal that came in the 85th minute. Núñez's initial shot on a header was barely kept out, but Salah was right in the perfect spot to tap home the rebound to give Liverpool a late 1-0 advantage.
Because of the lengthy nature of the VAR check of the disallowed Napoli goal, 7 minutes of stoppage time were added and Liverpool took full advantage. Virgil VanDijk's header was saved in the 98th minute, but Núñez poked home the rebound from close range on the final kick of the game. The goal was given in the 100th minute after a VAR check as Liverpool took the 2-0 win
A Reversal Of Fortunes
After a first half where neither side put much pressure on their opponent's goal, the second half was the complete opposite. Both teams had great chances, and it appeared as if Liverpool had conceded first once again. But once that goal was disallowed in the 53rd minute, you could almost hear an audible sigh of relief from players and fans.
It seemed to lift a big weight off of the Reds' shoulders that after everything that had gone wrong this season, they had finally caught a break, This allowed them to play better over the rest of the match, leading to the late goals
Happy 400th
The match marked Jürgen Klopp's 400th game in charge of Liverpool and the team rewarded the gaffer with a big win. He is the fourth manager to reach the milestone after Tom Watson, Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley.
LFC Globe Verdict
Even though it did not mean much in the standings, it was vital for Liverpool in many other ways. They proved that they can still compete with and beat one of the best clubs in Europe this season. The win also showed that when at full strength Liverpool is a much stronger side.
The Reds have struggled in defense at points this year and you could see the improvement with Konate in the lineup. Now the question is will this solid win translate to domestic success. Reds supporters have thought it might do just that on many occasions, but it has yet to happen
Man Of The Match & What's Next
Even though Konate put in a very strong defensive shift against one of the most offensive-minded clubs in Europe, the honor goes to Nuñez. He did not come on until the 73rd minute, but he made a massive impact on the match. He put a shot on frame in the 85th minute that allowed for Salah's tap and he delivered the literal final blow as time expired in the 2-0 victory.
What's Next:
Liverpool will travel to Tottenham on November 6th for a 14:30 kickoff. The draw for the next round of the Champions League will take place the next day on November 7th
Goals
Napoli
- None
Liverpool
- Salah - 85'
- Nunez - 90' + 8'
Substitutes
Napoli
- Herving Lazano for Matteo Politano - 70'
- Eljif Elmas for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - 83'
- Piotr Zielinski for Stanislav Lobotka - 83'
- Giovanni Simeone for Victor Osimhen - 87'
- Giacomo Raspadori for Tanguy Ndombele - 87'
Liverpool
- Harvey Elliott for James Milner - 46'
- Darwin Núñez for Curtis Jones - 73'
- Fabio Carvalho for Roberto Firmino - 87'
- Calvin Ramsay for Trent Alexander Arnold - 87'
- Stefan Bajcetic for Thiago - 87'
