By Daily Sports on September 18, 2019
Dries Mertens and Fernando Llorente scored late goals as Napoli defeated holders Liverpool 2-0 in Tuesday's opening round of Champions League group stage matches.
Mertens converted a penalty on 82 minutes and Llorente added a second in stoppage time as Napoli gained a measure of revenge for last season’s 1-0 loss at Anfield that denied the Italians a spot in the knockout rounds.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are the first reigning European champions to lose their opening game of the following campaign since AC Milan in 1994.
Both Liverpool, who sit top of the Premier League after five straight wins, and Napoli remain favourites to progress from Group E despite Salzburg’s thrilling 6-2 win over Genk.
Llorente joined Napoli this season after playing his last game for former club Tottenham in the Champions League final defeat by Liverpool in Madrid in June.
He came on as a substitute and pounced on a rare Virgil van Dijk blunder after Mertens had opened the scoring from the spot to pandemonium among the crowd at the Stadio San Paolo.
Liverpool also lost their group-stage match in Naples last season before going on to lift a sixth European Cup. (SuperSport)
•Photo shows Napoli players
Source Daily Sports
Posted September 18, 2019
You may also like...
Confident Eaglets depart for Niamey
Man Utd Forwards Can Be Big Threat This...
Lionel Messi Left Out Of Argentina Squad
Nzonzi strike sinks Atletico
Aubameyang confirms Chinese offer
Argentina call on Messi, Aguero for Copa America...
World Cup: Argentina face FIFA sanction over Falklands banner display
World Cup English FA backs Tuchel despite semi-final loss
Messi, Argentina finds Pickford’s penalty cheat sheet – Report
Argentina punished England after sensing weakness, doubts, says Scaloni W’Cup semi-final win
Commonwealth Games: Igali praises welfare, backs Team Nigeria for success
_1.jpg)
Important Lessons From 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP FINALS: Dear Ibrahim Gusau, It's Time To Resign Honorably
Nnadozie tops WSL keepers’ chart
FULL LIST: Unai Simón joins World Cup clean-sheet greats as Barthez, Shilton remain joint leaders
Ashe declares readiness for Commonwealth Games
Amusan secures 2026 Diamond League final spot
Nigerians demand NFF overhaul after Eagles’ W’Cup absence
France, Spain battle for place in World Cup final
Most Read
Rangers International going, going . . . (63,955 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (55,295 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (53,206 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,811 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,696 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,565 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,453 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (51,970 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (51,189 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,655 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (48,136 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,521 views)