Liverpool have the chance to break a Champions League group stage record tonight when they face Napoli in their first game of the competition.
The Reds begin their UCL campaign away in Italy as they face Napoli, a team they faced in back-to-back years between 2017-2018 with mixed results.
Joining them in Group A are Ajax and Rangers – who face off in the early kick-off in Amsterdam. It’s fair to say that it is a weaker group on paper than last year’s which was considered the ‘group of death’ at the time before Liverpool won all six of their group games before going onto reach the final.
Now, Jurgen Klopp’s men have the chance to become the first English club to win seven consecutive group games when they face Napoli later tonight.
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Record chasing Liverpool
Last season’s efforts saw them beat Porto, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid – home and away – as they became the first English team to win all six of their group games in UCL history.
That makes them only the sixth team behind Real Madrid (2011/12 & 2014/15) AC Milan (1992/93) PSG (1994/95) Spartak Moscow (1995/96) and Barcelona (2002/03)
They can go one step further against Napoli, who have been a thorn in their side in recent years in Europe.
The Reds have lost back-to-back games away at the Diego Maradona Stadium – losing by one and two nil scorelines.
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They held on for a one-all draw at Anfield in their 2018/19 Champions League winning campaign thanks to a very late Alisson save which kept them in the competition and subsequently led to their sixth UCL title.
Luciano Spalletti’s men have lost two of their best players this summer in Fabian Ruiz and Kalidou Koulibaly but have still begun the season in good form.
They’ve won three out of their five competitive games so far, including beating Lazio away over the weekend. They still have their star forward in Victor Osimhen, who has been linked with many a top club, and who could prove to be a threat on the night.
If the Reds win, they’ll achieve the record, break their Napoli curse, start the group stages with three points and halt the indifferent form that’s plagued them at the start of this season. It could prove to be a big night for Klopp’s men.
