Liverpool vs Napoli preview | Confirmed team news | Expected Line-up’s | Prediction

Liverpool will be looking to secure top spot in Group E when they take on Napoli in the Champions League at Anfield this evening. 

The reigning European champions currently sit one point clear of second-placed Napoli and five ahead of third-placed Salzburg so victory tonight would book their place in the last-16 of the competition as group winners.

Liverpool head into the game in formidable form as they maintained their sensational start to the season with a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday making it 12 wins and a draw from their 13 Premier League games so far.

Jurgen Klopp’s side sit eight points clear at the top of the domestic table and winning the Premier League has to be the priority this year but obviously the Reds will also want to do all they can to defend their Champions League trophy.

Napoli arrive on Merseyside in disarray as they are seventh in Serie A having not won any of their last six games and members of the squad have been involved in a bust-up with president Aurelio De Laurentiiss, so they face a tough task this evening.

Team news

Liverpool will continue to be without the services of Joel Matip as the defender is still recovering from a knee injury that’s hampered him recently while Nathaniel Clyne is also still on the sidelines.

However, Mohamed Salah is expected to return to the starting eleven after not being risked against Palace at the weekend due to a niggling ankle injury and Naby Keita is fit after overcoming illness.

Xherdan Shaqiri is also pushing for a recall to the squad after recovering from a calf injury that’s plagued him for over a month but a place on the bench is probably the best he can hope for.

Napoli are without Lorenzo Insigne due to an elbow injury while Arkadiusz Milik is also set to miss out due to a stomach issue. Kevin Malcuit is a long-term absentee with a knee ligament injury.

Expected line-ups

Predicted score

Liverpool 2-0 Napoli: Liverpool have won both the previous home games against Napoli and the Italians haven’t won any of their previous nine trips to England. The Reds are formidable at home as they haven’t tasted defeat at Anfield in 30 games across all competitions and they are unbeaten in 24 European matches on home soil so I don’t see Napoli winning tonight.

The visitors are in poor form and they’re up against a Liverpool side who just keep winning so I can’t see past a home win this evening. I don’t see Liverpool taking too many risks as they don’t need to leave themselves too open but I’m backing Klopp’s men to ease to a 2-0 win.