Champions League trips to Italy have proven somewhat fruitful for Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp.
Twice last season they returned from daunting assignments at the San Siro with victory, first against AC Milan in the group stage and then downing Inter in the first leg of their round of 16 tie.
The previous season, Diogo Jota’s hat-trick was the highlight of a club record 5-0 romp at Atalanta. And even when the Reds were beaten 4-2 at Roma in their semi-final second leg four years ago, it wasn’t sufficient to deny them the first of three final appearances in the last five seasons.
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But If there’s one Serie A opponent that has continually perplexed Klopp’s Liverpool, it is their first opponents in the competition since May’s disappointing and disheartening showpiece defeat against Real Madrid.
Twice in successive seasons the Reds have opened their travels at Napoli only to be beaten on each occasion, going down to the only goal in 2018 and then suffering a self-inflicted 2-0 defeat 12 months later. Throw in a goalless Europa League draw back in 2010, and Liverpool are still awaiting their first goal on the south Italy coast.
The Reds make their latest return aiming to start their latest Champions League campaign in more convincing fashion than their spluttering Premier League opening.
Klopp will hope familiarity can belatedly breed contentment. While Napoli’s stadium has undergone a name change since Liverpool were last in town - now the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in honour of the club’s greatest-ever player - and has been spruced up by colourful new seating, much else remains the same.
A full house is expected with home supporters, in stark contrast to concerned Liverpool followers, buoyed by a goal-laden start to the season that has seen Luciano Spalletti’s side move confidently into second place in Serie A.
The Reds were given an away allocation of 2,736 for the game, but that the tickets ultimately went on general sale - highly unusual given Champions League tickets are usually much sought-after - underlined the sense of trepidation given previous incidents in Naples. Indeed, those who have travelled were implored by the club to remain in their hotels on Tuesday night for fear of being targeted.
Later on towards the end of the pre-match press conference deep in the bowels of the stadium, Klopp was visibly angered when asked a leading question by a local journalist regarding Liverpool's statement.
"I don’t live a normal life in Napoli," he said. "I am protected here, go to the hotel and now you ask me what I think about Napoli. That’s an embarrassing question from you. You want to create headlines. I really don’t understand it."
Events in Paris and the subsequent controversy still linger among many matchgoing supporters. But for the players, the defeat to Real Madrid on the pitch has long been banished.
"The day after it was really difficult because you are frustrated about the result and that you didn't get your trophy, the main goal," says Alisson. "But in the end, we are footballers, we are professional players. We have to deal with those kind of things.
"It's really hard but I learned to deal with that since I have been a young boy playing football. It's part of the competition, win or lose. As a football player you have to give a response straight after. I went to the national team and after the first match I wasn't thinking any more about the final.
"We can try to use (the defeat) as an extra motivation, but in my opinion we don't need that. Being here, playing in the Champions League against a big club like Napoli in a really difficult group stage is motivation enough for us. We are going to fight to go through the group stage and start to think step by step."
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