« on: September 7, 2022, 06:21:58 pm »
Wednesday 7th September at 8pm
Another European Cup campaign starts on Wednesday with a visit to familiar opposition in Napoli or Societa Sportivo Calcio Napoli to give them their full name.
We have played them 6 times in recent years spread across 3 ties , winning 2, drawing 2 etc..
However in 3 previous visits to Naples we are yet to register a solitary goal, with a draw under Hodgson in 2010 the best we could offer. Both recent visits have resulted in late, narrow defeats.
21:00 CET - Naples (Stadio Diego Armando Maradona)
SSC Napoli (ITA) - Liverpool (ENG) | Group A
Referee: Carlos Del Cerro Grande (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Pau Cebrián Devís (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso (ESP)
Fourth Official: César Soto Grado (ESP)
Video Assistant Referee: Alejandro Hernández Hernández (ESP)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Xavier Estrada Fernandez (ESP)
UEFA Referee Observer: Stavros Tritsonis (GRE)
UEFA Delegate: Jānis Mežeckis (LVA)
There are certainly plenty of officials covering this game for UEFA...the Spanish referees name translates as Big Hill. Apart from which I know nothing about him.
Recent Form.....looking back to Saturday we created enough to win the game at Goodison, but our form can certainly be described as patchy. Napoli on the other hand have made a decent start to their season in 2nd place behind Atalanta in the early league table. Played 5 , won 3, drawn 2, and won 2-1 at Lazio in their last game.
Their leading scorer is a new signing from Georgian football Khvicha Kvaratskhelia who has scored 4 times in 5 games. Their star striker is Nigerian Victor Osimhen who is rated doubtful for our game.
Maanager...Luciano Spalletti who at one time or another has a managed most Italian teams. He has managed against us previously back in February 2013 when we were knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Zenit St Petersburg, which I remember as I missed the Anfield game having made a massive fuck up at work and had to work late to sort out.
Liverpool....hopefully our injury cloud is clearing a bit with he news Thiago is back in training. I doubt that he'll start but it's a good sign he should at least be on the bench. Will Arthur Melo get a game having some training sessions under his belt ?
In any case in a European Cup campaign is something to look forward to, all roads leading to Istanbul. How fantastic would it be to reach yet another final, and win another which we are well capable of.
My prediction...Napoli 1 Liverpool 1.
« Last Edit: September 7, 2022, 09:08:23 pm by TepidT2O »
Logged
“Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”
“Generosity always pays off. Generosity in your effort, in your work, in your kindness, in the way you look after people and take care of people. In the long run, if you are generous with a heart, and with humanity, it always pays off.”
W
