Coming up later today will be an epic encounter between two top European teams, a battle that will be the decider for the champions league group stage progress.
Today will be the final group stage for Liverpool who will be hosting Napoli to try to overturn possible group stage elimination. The match promises to be a very tough game but yet an exciting encounter for fans.
Both teams started their champions league campaign brightly, but now face possible elimination depending on the outcome of their game and the other match between PSG and Red Star.
The Reds are currently in 3rd position and are trying to find a solution to overturn the problem of possible elimination in the group stage which was compounded by their loss against PSG last time both teams met.
For Napoli, they are currently leading the group but could face elimination depending on the outcome of the games tonight.
On paper, this is pretty much an even contest because it is a very difficult match between two top teams and both teams can possibly win the match.
Liverpool vs Napoli
This game is a much-anticipated fixture, a match which most football lovers all over the world will be paying attention to and at the same time a fixture Liverpool and their fans would have preferred not to play at this current situation.
For both teams, this match is extremely crucial for them, so they will both try to give their all to achieve their ambition.
For Liverpool, they are playing at home, in front of their supporters which will likely play a huge role in this game.
They already know how good this Napoli side are, so for them to achieve any result out of this game, they surely need to put in a performance above 100 percent.
For Napoli, they will be going into this game knowing that things can terribly go wrong if they don’t perform at their best. They know by now how difficult it is to play at Anfield on a champions league night, especially when there is a lot at stake.
They are currently in first position but could get eliminated if Liverpool score over 2 goals without conceding, so they need to put in a maximum performance to get any result out of this fixture.
My Expectations In Terms Of Tactics And Gameplay
For Liverpool, they will most likely setup in their preferred 4-3-3 formation like they have done all season. Klopp will want his team to go all-out attack right from the first whistle and try to put pressure on Napoli to get the first goal as early as possible.
They would also want to press and play with high intensity and make sure the Napoli players have less time on the ball.
For Napoli, they would probably line up for this match in a 4-4-2 formation to try to make it difficult for the Reds to get any space to exploit. Ancelotti would want his team to remain as calm as possible and not be fazed by the atmosphere at Anfield. He would want his team to be very compact and try to create opportunities when the chances come.
My Player of Focus
For this game, I don’t have a specific player of focus simply because both teams have lots of quality players and the game will probably require a collective effort and performance by both teams.
Rather than having a specific player of focus, I would be focusing my attention on both teams, to see how the players perform in a very difficult match like this and a game that will be filled with pressure.
My Prediction
For me, I think this game is really a very difficult one to predict as the outcome could go either way. A lot is at stake in this match and both teams are well capable of getting their desired result out of the match. One thing is for sure, the match will be very tough for both teams.
We all know in football, anything can happen, so let’s see what happens tonight. A lot of fans are really anticipating this game and let’s hope it will be an exciting champions league night for fans all over the world.
And that is a wrap…
What do you think… Who do you think will progress from the group?
I would love to read your own opinions… Enjoy your day
Comments