Liverpool’s Champions League campaign gets under way on Wednesday evening as Jurgen Klopp’s side make the trip to Naples – a destination that has not brought much luck to the team in recent times.
The Reds lost away to Napoli in 2018 and 2019, as well as only being able to earn a draw in a Europa League group stage contest at the home of the Serie A outfit back in 2010.
After a stuttering start in the Premier League, Liverpool may view Europe’s elite competition as a chance to regain some momentum and will be boosted by their impressive record of recent years in the Champions League.
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To have any hopes of reaching a fourth final in the space of five years, Ajax, Rangers and Napoli are the three sides Klopp’s men must overcome in what looks to be a testing mix of teams in Group A. Some of the players the Reds will be going head-to-head with over the coming weeks will only add to the intrigue of these fixtures, as explained below.
Ajax - Familiar foes
A club renowned for producing high-quality players through its Academy system, Ajax’s model relies on selling these stars for inflated prices after establishing themselves within the first-team.
Donny van de Beek, Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt serve as three recent examples of this trend, with recruiting stars from South America to later offload for vast sums of money a second policy (Antony and Lisandro Martinez).
Certain individuals who developed through Ajax’s youth squads before later leaving for Premier League moves are now back at the club, with three of those having experienced facing Liverpool in high-stakes situations.
Goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg represented Everton during the 2016/17 season along with midfielder Davy Klaassen, both of whom are reunited at Ajax. Liverpool’s other main rivals, Manchester United, was previously a home for Daley Blind. The Dutch midfielder faced off against the Reds a total of six times across his four seasons at Old Trafford before returning home in 2018.
Former Southampton forward Dusan Tadic and ex-Tottenham Hotspur winger Steven Bergwijn are two other Premier League players of the past currently on their books.
Rangers – Former Reds
There is the potential Liverpool could be taking on two former players in their group stage matches with Glasgow Rangers.
The first of whom is winger Ryan Kent, who left the Reds on a permanent basis in 2019 having progressed through the Academy but failed to receive many opportunities at the highest level. Kent made only one first-team appearance for the club, which came in an FA Cup third round tie against Exeter City in 2016.
The majority of his time with Liverpool was spent away from the club, having been loaned to Coventry City, Barnsley, Freiburg, Bristol City and Rangers – turning his final temporary switch into a permanent move.
Ben Davies is the other ex-Red within the ranks of the Scottish Premiership side. Davies left Liverpool this summer in a £4million deal after failing to make a single senior appearance. The former Preston North End centre-back is currently sidelined but could return for the first meeting with Klopp’s men on October 4.
Napoli – Simeone son
Diego Simeone cannot be considered a popular figure among Liverpool supporters.
The Atletico Madrid manager has become somewhat of a pantomime villain in recent years due to his antics when facing off with the Reds in the knockout phase of the 2019/20 Champions League and in last season’s group stages.
After watching Alvaro Morata strike late on in extra-time at Anfield to seal his team’s progression to the quarter-finals of the competition in 19/20, Simeone produced a provocative dash down the touchline that Jose Mourinho would have been proud of.
The Argentine refused to be drawn into a war of words when challenged on Klopp’s criticism of Atletico’s tactics but chose not to shake the hand of the Liverpool boss after suffering a 3-2 loss on home soil to the Reds last term to create further tension between the pair.
Simeone’s son, Giovanni, is currently on loan at Napoli after scoring 17 goals in Serie A last season for his parent club, Hellas Verona. With first-choice striker Victor Osimhen a doubt for Wednesday’s Champions League game due to a muscle issue, an opportunity could be forthcoming for the 27-year-old.
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