Let's try to analyze what happened yesterday at the Anfield Road. Napoli comes with the possibility of even losing with a goal if they score at least one goal, Liverpool must win 1 - 0 or with two goals difference. The first minutes of the game are misleading, Salah finds himself in front of Ospina but missed the stop and Hamsik in the next action almost score with a shot from outside the area.
Liverpool is not scared and increases the pressure. The Naples midfield led by Hamsik disappears when the latter misses 3-4 very simple passages. Liverpool takes advantage of these errors and becomes dangerous. Almost all the actions of Liverpool pass on the right wing by the Egyptian Momo Salah, very inspired last night. Mario Rui, the left-back of Napoli, who is facing Salah never manages to stop the Egyptian and Kalidou Koulibaly must do the double job always, from the beginning of the race practically.
In another Salah offensive, the Egyptian dribble Mario Rui and Koulibaly and with a half-shot mischief Ospina between the legs. The first time ends like this. In the second half, Napoli knows he can concede the second goal but must score at least one. The Liverpool continues with an inhuman pressure and ends up attacking and have several scoring opportunities almost all on Manè's feet. Salah always good to jump the man and provide a lot of assists rendered vain by errors in the door of Manè.
Napoli at 70th puts Milik in to try to hurt the high balls. Callejon wastes a spectacular assist of Insigne and Milik to the 90th makes a spectacular control that puts it in front of Allison but misses the shot going to hit the goalkeeper capable of closing well the mirror of the door. In the end, Liverpool deservedly won 1-0 and went through. Napoli is guilty of having been unable in this last but fundamental match.
Napoli Player Ratings:
Ospina 6,5: Horrible on the occasion of the goal. In the second half, he is forgiven with two or three miracles that keep Napoli in play until the end.
Mario Rui 3: He never won a duel with Salah, we played with one man less, he is also missing in the offensive phase. Worst match of his career (?).
Kalidou Koulibaly 7: He proves once again to be among the best defenders in the world, perhaps of all time. The only spot of the match was when on the occasion of the goal decides to make an intervention on Salah, who dribbles him, when he would just have to accompany him.
Raul Albiol 6,5: As already said in other posts, he improves as he gets older, yet another performance of the highest level, half a vote less for the final in which he no longer had batteries.
Maksimovic 5: Cannot blame him very much in this game, since most of the occasions come from Salah on the opposite side. But he is slow, too slow to be fielded against Liverpool sprinters.
Hamsik 4: An excellent initial shot that almost gives the goal of "security" but then begins the nightmare. 2-3 wrong back passes that trigger Salah & co. fortunately not exploited. It disappears from the middle of the field after these errors, unable to set the action, to make simple passages, to forbid. He is playing in a role that is not his and when he stumbles on NO days all the Naples is overwhelmed in midfield. One of the biggest responsible for this ugly defeat.
Allan 6: Usual warrior, one of the few to stand Liverpool's pace. Less incisive than the other times, he is forced to succumb to superiority in midfield by the British.
Fabian Ruiz 6,5: Fight, dribble, pull. The best in Naples midfield. Physically powerful as the hungry opponents of Liverpool, his replacement is incomprehensible.
Insigne 5: He has a few faults sincerely, Napoli has defended almost the whole game, on some occasions avoids dribbling and instead he should have tried it, in the end, he provides a golden assist in Callejon. Impolite but accomplice.
Mertens 4,5: He starts well but then disappears after Van Dijk's tough intervention. Probably he accuses the psychological backlash of Anfield's whistles because he ran well in the field, and therefore seemed to have no physical problems.
Sufficient, more or less, the three entered Zielinski, Milik, and Ghoulam.
Liverpool Side
I can not give ratings to Liverpool players because I do not know them very well and I was more committed to analyzing mine than them. However, I want to emphasize:
Klopp - He set up a perfect match, and it was not easy. In the end, he deservedly won.
Van Dijk - Impressive. A Defender with the capital D. At KK level. Top class.
Alisson - A few times busy, but in the end, he makes a parade that is worth more than anything else. Phenomenal with feet and between the posts, among the best in the world if not perhaps the best.
Salah - At last year's levels. A golden ball player. Unlucky Liverpool to lose him in the final in the last UCL otherwise the story would have been different in my opinion. Fast, extraordinary and intelligent. Decisive as few reminds me of CR7 in the golden years.
The whole team is good at interpreting the game well in every phase.
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