Champions League

New owner Todd Boehly has wasted no time in binning the German coach just seven games into the season, and 100 days into his reign since replacing Roman ...

'There is too much to analyse - I'm a part of it. 'We are clearly not where we want to be. Anthony Barry is in line to be the leading figure until a new boss arrives. You know how glad I am to be here and how much I like it. We expected what we got. 'My people talk to the owners and take care of everything else. 'I thought that the last game helped us. They also finished third in the Premier League. We are not finished, we are not happy with our results, we are not happy with the way we play in general, but I thought we were on a good way. I didn't see it coming, that's why I'm angry with myself. 'A lack of determination, a lack of hunger and a lack of intensity to do the things we need at the highest level. I'm angry with myself because I did not see it coming.

Premier League giants Chelsea have made the bombshell decision to sack manager Thomas Tuchel, just days after a record-breaking transfer window came to a ...

Thomas will rightly have a place in Chelsea’s history after winning the Champions League, the Super Cup and Club World Cup in his time here. Tuchel guided the Blues to Champions League glory in his first season, in addition to two other minor trophies, but was axed following a dismal 1-0 defeat in the opening group stage match of this year’s Champions League competition. The Blues sit sixth in the Premier League, having won three games and drawn once from their six outings – but already five points behind early leaders Arsenal. A massive clash with Liverpool follows. It was by far the biggest spend of any club in Europe. A club statement announcing Tuchel’s axing read: “As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since taking over the Club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition.”

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Thomas will rightly have a place in Chelsea’s history after winning the Champions League, the Super Cup and Club World Cup in his time here. The Seagulls have had a spectacular start to the campaign and currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, suffering only one defeat to Fulham. “Chelsea’s coaching staff will take charge of the team for training and the preparation of our upcoming matches as the Club moves swiftly to appoint a new head coach. [club statement](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/chelsea-football-club-part-company-with-thomas-tuchel) read: “On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, the Club would like to place on record its gratitude to Thomas and his staff for all their efforts during their time with the Club. [Premier League](https://www.nationalworld.com/sport/football/wwe-clash-at-the-castle-every-premier-league-football-managers-gimmick-and-finishing-move-3828379) club had had a hectic summer of spending as Todd Boehly backed Tuchel with the big money arrivals of Kalidou Koulibaly, [Raheem Sterling](https://www.nationalworld.com/sport/football/raheem-sterling-chelsea-transfer-what-shirt-number-will-the-former-man-city-player-wear-3767984), Marc Cucurella and others - however the new owner has opted to cut ties with the German coach just seven games into the new campaign. The Blues have struggled so far this season and currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League, after defeats to Leeds United and Southampton, as well as dropped points against Spurs.

Cristiano Ronaldo is missing the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.

Villarreal coach Unai Emery will try to add the European competition to his four career Europa League titles, and the path begins at home against Lech Poznan. Arsenal is England’s other big hope in the competition and the Premier League leaders start off at Zurich. United manager Erik ten Hag is likely to start his fringe players in the match at Old Trafford and that is what Ronaldo and club captain Harry Maguire have become after making big changes following the team’s woeful start to the season.

Chelsea has sacked manager Thomas Tuchel the day after his team suffered a shock 1-0 defeat away by Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.

[September 7, 2022]

Chelsea have parted ways with manager Thomas Tuchel, the Premier League club announced on Wednesday, a day after they lost 1-0 to Croatian team Dinamo ...

“As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since taking over the Club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition,” the statement said. They also reached the FA Cup and League Cup finals, losing to Liverpool on penalties on each occasion. Chelsea finished third in the Premier League last season as their expected challenge to Manchester City and Liverpool’s domestic dominance failed to materialise.

The 22-year-old from Rye, New York has quietly built himself into a starter for Rangers and a contender for a USMNT World Cup roster spot.

A lot of that is dealing with the thoughts in your head and being able to sit with yourself after a good game, but also a bad game. "He's the coach, he's going to make his decisions. I really think the more you experience that sort of atmosphere and are involved in games like that, and get used to it, you can start to feel a little less pressure and start playing your game like normal." "We obviously have some very big teams in our group, but I think the biggest thing is not playing with any fear," Sands said of the Champions League draw. Sands believes he's ready for the challenge, but knows he has to keep up his level to earn a World Cup roster spot. That match, ultimately, will be one for Sands — and the entire Rangers side — to forget. He recently played 90 minutes in one of the world's most historic rivalries and is eyeing a key role in the Champions League group stage. "One of the first things that people notice about me as a player is my versatility," Sands said about what makes him unique as a player. His performance in that game stands out to Sands as one of his best-ever performances. With the Qatar event slated for November, it's been a well-timed rise to prominence for Sands. He won a Major League Soccer championship with NYCFC in December 2021, and less than one month later he was off to one of Scotland's biggest clubs on an 18-month loan. "Off the field I'm quite a quiet person," Sands described himself in an interview with The Sporting News from Glasgow, Scotland.

Rangers make their return to the Champions League group for the first time in ? years this evening when face Ajax in Amsterdam.

They first crossed paths in the 1972 European Super Cup on account of Ajax winning the Champions League and Rangers the Cup Winners’ Cup. Again, Ajax won both meetings – 4-1 and 1-0 – as they finished second in the group, behind French side Auxerre. [Rangers](/topic/rangers) come into the match on a downer having been swept aside 4-0 by Celtic in what was a comprehensive defeat that leaves them trailing their rivals by five points at this early stage in the season.

Rangers travels to face Ajax in the group stage of the Champions League on September 7 at 12:45 PM EST. See the odds, picks, and best bets for the match.

Not only did Rangers navigate a tough road to get to the final last spring, but they did it with a solid defensive display that only allowed 1.21 expected goals against per match, which is quite impressive when you consider some of the opponents they faced. That kind of experience should prove vital for Rangers in a hostile environment on Wednesday night in Amsterdam. But the truth is that despite a perfect start through their first five matches the Eredivisie, we just don’t know what to expect out of the Dutch giants in 2022-23. On the season Rangers are averaging 2.26 expected goals for and 0.88 expected goals against this season. [Champions League](https://nypost.com/article/how-to-bet-on-soccer/) darlings last season, AFC Ajax out of the Netherlands come into this year’s competition with a re-vamped look after they were raided during the transfer window. Ajax lost Antony, Lisandro Martinez, Sebastian Haller and Ryan Gravenberch over the summer transfer window and their former manager, Erik ten Hag, left for Manchester United.

Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning, Lars Sivertson, Jonathan Fadugba and Faye Carruthers discuss Thomas Tuchel's sacking, The Champions League and the Lionesses ...

[10-0 win over Luxembourg](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/sep/06/england-luxembourg-womens-world-cup-qualifier-match-report) on a Tuesday night in Stoke. Plus, Ukrainian team [FC Shakhtar Donetsk impress in a 4-1 victory over Redbull Liepzig](https://www.theguardian.com/football/match/2022/sep/06/red-bull-leipzig-v-shakhtardonetsk) who incidentally sacked their manager thereafter, and Erling Haaland is a machine, but what type of printer is he? [Thomas Tuchel sacking](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/sep/07/chelsea-sack-thomas-tuchel-as-manager-after-defeat-at-zagreb-champions-league) (which took place after the initial recording) in an emergency extra pod which features before the main pod. But we increasingly need our readers to fund our work. And we want to keep our journalism open and accessible to all. In the main pod, the panel discuss all of Tuesday night’s Champions League games including [Celtic’s first game in the Champions League group stage as they hosted the reigning champions of the tournament Real Madrid](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/sep/06/celtic-real-madrid-champions-league-match-report).

Getty Images. SHARE THIS ARTICLE. Audio streaming service Tuneln has secured the live radio rights for the Uefa Champions League in the US, Canada and Chile ...

“TuneIn has always been committed to providing listeners with high quality sports content. Making sure our listeners have streaming access to it is crucial for us,” said Richard Stern, TuneIn chief executive. Lower-tier subscribers will still get access to Champions League content such as analysis programming, podcasts and replays, but no live games.

TuneIn, the world's leading live streaming audio service, is pleased to announce that users can now stream the biggest UEFA Champions.

The addition of the UEFA Champions League to our roster is a natural continuation of that commitment.” The official UEFA Champions League Podcast is also available to TuneIn subscribers. TuneIn, the world’s leading live streaming audio service, is pleased to announce that users can now stream the biggest UEFA Champions League games this season.

RB Leipzig beat them to the punch by barely an hour in dismissing Domenico Tedesco after a shocking 4-1 home defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk. There could even be a ...

The 45-year-old is familiar with Red Bull's methods and is interestingly a Leipzig native having played for VfB Leipzig and coached Lokomotive Leipzig in his past. Another name to keep an eye on after their underwhelming start to the season is Massimiliano Allegri who saw his Juventus side go down 2-1 to PSG on Tuesday. Four losses from five games across all competitions with heavy defeats to Barcelona and now City is unacceptable for the six-time UEFA Europa League winners and Pochettino has also been linked with the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan role should it be vacated by ex-Spain, Real Madrid, and FC Porto man Lopetegui. It appears that both Chelsea and Leipzig already have their preferred candidates in mind with Brighton and Hove Albion's Graham Potter the early frontrunner but former Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino also on a four-man list. RB Leipzig beat them to the punch by barely an hour in dismissing Domenico Tedesco after a shocking 4-1 home defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk. Chelsea were beaten 1-0 in Croatia which meant that the Blues only had two wins from their last six matches across all competitions.

Find out how to watch a Napoli vs Liverpool live stream wherever you are today, as Jurgen Klopp's men kick off their European campaign with a tough trip to ...

[DAZN](https://www.techradar.com/news/what-is-dazn-price-subscriptions-live-stream) (opens in new tab). [DAZN costs just CA$24.99 a month or $199.99 a year](https://www.prf.hn/click/camref:1101l4vjL/pubref:trd-us-1234451325881686300/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dazn.com%2Fen-CA%2Fl%2Fsports) (opens in new tab). [Spark Sport](https://www.sparksport.co.nz/) (opens in new tab) (NZ) [Sony LIV](https://www.sonyliv.com/subscription) (opens in new tab) (IN) [DAZN](https://www.prf.hn/click/camref:1101l4vjL/pubref:trd-us-5884375730321686000/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dazn.com%2Fen-CA%2Fl%2Fsports) (opens in new tab) (CA) [BT Sport](https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=3041&awinaffid=103504&clickref=trd-us-8173953653804666000&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bt.com%2Fexp%2Fsport%2Fmonthly-pass) (opens in new tab) (UK) The Monthly Pass renews automatically every four weeks, but you can cancel it whenever you want. However, if you're away travelling for work or pleasure, you probably won't be able to watch tonight's match like you normally would at home. Luciano Spalletti's team come into this clash off the back of a 1-2 away win at Lazio, thanks to goals from Kim Min-Jae and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, while Liverpool had to settle for a draw in Saturday's Merseyside derby against local rivals Everton. Paramount Plus live streams the vast majority of games, while some fixtures are shown on CBS. The Reds have made a stuttering start in the Premier League this term, with many pundits blaming a hangover from their defeat to Real Madrid in last season's final of this competition. Having experienced the agony of falling at the final hurdle last season, Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool will hoping to go one step further as they begin their Champions League campaign on Wednesday away to Napoli.

Napoli vs Liverpool, Champions League: Read the pre-match build up, predicted XI and head-to-head record for the UCL Group A match.

Last year’s runner up Liverpool has got off to a sluggish start in the Premier League and is outside the top four spots. The match is scheduled for a 12:30 am kick-off on Thursday. Napoli will be without their seasoned forward Dries Mertens in the 2022/23 Champions League.

Follow updates as Napoli and Liverpool renew hostilities in the first game of this season's Champions League group stage.

— Univision places select matches across its TV networks (Univision, TUDN, UniMas, and Galavision) and also makes all matches from the group stage on available via its ViX streaming platform. 15:00 ET Wed, September 7 Midfielder Diego Demme misses out entirely through injury. Today's visitors were defeated finalists against Real Madrid last season, and how they would love to begin another deep run in the competition with victory this evening.

Jose Enrique has said that he believes Liverpool will get three points against Napoli this evening.

[Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/5XstioL80j5xvix2FgayOv?si=c6005a65bcb245e7) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdlFklV55ZttMuLE6hf3FdA) However, it will be difficult as Napoli are having a great season. "I believe they can beat anybody in the world so they can go and get a result in Napoli. "In any other moment I would be very confident in Liverpool getting the points, but against Napoli it will be difficult. "Of course they can bounce back, but for me, with Liverpool it isn't just about the fixtures and the results.

The Reds have had a patchy start to the Premier League season, with just two wins in their opening six matches. Their latest match was a goalless draw with ...

Non-subscribers can access the action via a [Fetch TV box](https://www.fetchtv.com.au/) (opens in new tab) and other friendly streaming devices. If you pick up a [fuboTV subscription](https://geni.us/YkQAuWd) (opens in new tab) for the games not on Peacock Premium, you'll be able to watch every game. The Champions League draw has handed them a potentially difficult group, with each of [Ajax](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/ajax) (opens in new tab), [Rangers](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/glasgow-rangers) (opens in new tab) and [Napoli](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/napoli) (opens in new tab) harbouring ambitions of qualifying for the knockout phase. [BT Sport 2](https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=3041&awinaffid=103504&clickref=fourfourtwo-gb-6902919504732524000&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bt.com%2Fsport%2Fmonthly-pass) (opens in new tab). [Save over a third on a FFT magazine subscription today](https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=2961&awinaffid=103504&clickref=fourfourtwo-gb-5963725803910010000&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.magazinesdirect.com%2FFFT-brandsite) (opens in new tab). [Everton](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/everton) (opens in new tab) in the Merseyside derby. [TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/uk) (opens in new tab) love its super speedy connections, trustworthy security and the fact it works with Android, Apple, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, PS4 and loads more. Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. [Liverpool](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/liverpool) (opens in new tab) have managed to keep in touch with [Manchester City](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/manchester-united) (opens in new tab) despite their mixed results, but Jurgen Klopp will want to see a fast improvement from his team. You'll be blocked from watching it, which is not ideal if you’ve paid up for a subscription and still want to catch the action without resorting to illegal feeds you’ve found on Reddit. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and t'internet, meaning the service can’t work out where you are and won't automatically block the service you've paid for. Their latest match was a goalless draw with

'Worst seen under Klopp' — Liverpool concede THREE to Napoli in 'half from hell': CL LIVE.

“You have to be 100 percent ready for the game.” Ajax brought in over 200 million euros ($199 million) in transfer fees for Antony, Lisandro Martinez, Sebastien Haller and Ryan Gravenberch in recent months. We knew it was going to be tough and it showed today.” But the pressure is also mounting on Van Bronckhorst after Rangers were also blown away by fierce rivals Celtic 4-0 in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday. However, they withstood interest in Alvarez late in the window from Chelsea and the Mexican opened the floodgates when he was left unmarked to head in a corner on 17 minutes. “We have to compete with the squad we have and are able and capable of making. However, they suffered a chastening return to the top level of European football with Edson Alvarez, Steven Berghuis, Mohammed Kudus and Steven Bergwijn on target for the Dutch champions. Giovanni Simeone then got in on the act in the 44th minute to conclude the first half rout and the Italians could have had even more if it wasn’t for a missed penalty.

Minute-by-minute report: Can Jürgen Klopp's side kick off their Group A campaign with victory in Italy? Join Scott Murray.

[Liverpool](https://www.theguardian.com/football/liverpool) fan and I love Joe Gomez. [Liverpool](https://www.theguardian.com/football/liverpool) take their corner, and after a little pinball, the ball drops to Van Dijk. [Liverpool](https://www.theguardian.com/football/liverpool) fans have been expecting this for a little while. Van Dijk does well to climb and send a header towards the top right, but Meret is behind it all the way. Napoli have been sensational. The whistle goes, and Napoli celebrate with each other like it’s over. [Liverpool](https://www.theguardian.com/football/liverpool). He slams a low shot straight at Alisson, who parries well, but the ball breaks back to Zielinksi who calmly dinks over the stricken keeper and into the net! 69 min: Elliott rolls a cute pass down the right to release Nunez into the box. As well as scoring four, they also missed a penalty, hit the post, and had a shot cleared off the line. A flaccid mess tonight, Liverpool are in danger of letting this season spiral out of control. But we have to try to find a set-up to be much better in pretty much everything.

Goals from Edson Álvarez, Steven Berghuis, Mohammed Kudus and Steven Bergwijn gave Ajax an emphatic 4-0 win over a dismal Rangers in Amsterdam.

Rangers lack of defiance pointed to Van Bronckhorst, strangely, being unable to rouse his troops despite this being a glamour occasion against one of the continent’s A-list names. Kudus passed to Berghuis and his effort beat McLaughlin via a ricochet off Sands – a midfielder asked to fill in at centre-back. The Ajax team were as vibrant as Johan Cruyff Arena had been when transformed into the flag-waving cauldron that greeted Rangers’ ending of a 12-year absence from this stage of the competition. If there was a number to rate the invention of their opponents then zero would not have been unfair on Rangers, whose manager, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, seemed to have instructed them to sit as far back as possible and hope that they could somehow conjure a goal. Had Van Bronckhorst given his charges a roasting at the interval? [Rangers](https://www.theguardian.com/football/rangers) go from here in a Group A that also features Napoli and Liverpool may not be pretty.

Catch the LIVE updates and score from NAP v LIV UEFA Champions League Group A match at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples.

Last year’s runner up Liverpool has got off to a sluggish start in the Premier League and is outside the top four spots. The match is scheduled for a 12:30 am kick-off on Thursday. Napoli has proven to be a tough team for Liverpool to get the better of.

SportsBrief.com News ☆ Ghanaian midfielder Mohammed Kudus scored a belter to mark his first-ever goal in the UEFA Champions League as Ajax outplayed ...

[Kudus has put behind him](https://sportsbrief.com/football/ajax/23218-ghana-midfielder-mohammed-kudus-scores-ajaxs-big-win-cambuur-holland/) a failed move to Everton in the summer transfer window to net his first goal of the season in the Eredivisie for [Ajax](https://sportsbrief.com/football/ajax/). [Kudus](https://sportsbrief.com/tag/mohammed-kudus/) skillfully outwitted his marker before firing from long range as Ajax won 4-0 on Wednesday night. Mohammed Kudus was handed his first start of the season after impressing over the weekend against Cambuur in the Eredivisie, where he scored his first goal of the season.

AJAX 4-0 RANGERS - MARK WILSON AT THE JOHAN CRUYFF ARENA: Rangers' long-awaited return descended into disarray within the space of just 16 minutes.

The comeback ended closer to a calamity. If that was a case of putting a square peg in a square hole, there was no such solution for the gaping holes in Rangers’ defence. He knew the areas to attack. It was in vain. It felt as though the scoreline could be anything the hosts wanted it to be. Once play got under way, the £20 million man was left decidedly untroubled in his central defensive berth. The defending on display was dismal. The Ibrox outfit improved a little in the second period – with Borna Barisic seeing a fine curling finish ruled out by VAR – but it was way too little, way too late. Ajax turned the first half into a procession. Ajax are a team brimming with quality but the gulf in class exposed was frightening at times. So often in the recent past, excellence in European football has provided Rangers with a balm for domestic troubles. Again, it was all done and dusted before the break.

Piotr Zielinski scored a brace for Napoli, who are second in Serie A, with Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Giovanni Simeone also finding the back of the net.

"This first half was worrying because we're seeing good players make mistakes they don't usually make. READ MORE: They've been tormenting Liverpool all night. [Liverpool's](https://wwos.nine.com.au/liverpool-fc) woes have deepened after being torn apart in a 4-1 loss to Napoli in the opening game of their [Champions League](https://wwos.nine.com.au/football/champions-league) campaign.

Ajax blew away Rangers with three first-half goals as the Dutch giant kicked off its UEFA Champions League campaign with a resounding 4-0 victory in ...

Rangers had a Borna Barisic strike chalked off for offside, and Ajax only added to their opponents' pain thanks to Bergwijn's finish following a terrible pass from Ryan Jack. A quickfire third followed as Kudus was allowed to charge into the box and fire a stunning shot across McLaughlin and into the top-far corner. Ajax was dominant from the first whistle and there was a sense of inevitably about their opener when an unmarked Alvarez headed in Dusan Tadic's in-swinging corner.

Liverpool were thrashed 4-1 in Italy by Napoli, with their Champions League campaign got off to the worst possible start.

Luis Díaz reduced the deficit in style when he cut in from the left and beat Meret with a fine finish into the far corner. The Georgian centred low for Diego Simeone’s son to convert a simple tap-in. The visitors controlled the closing stages but had been comprehensively beaten in the sweltering Italian heat, outclassed and humiliated by a team that wanted victory more. As bad as Klopp’s team were, and their problems were not confined to defence with Mohamed Salah struggling to control the most routine of passes, they created enough openings to have doused Napoli’s mood. It was deflected via the outstretched hand of James Milner, Liverpool’s captain for the night, and Zielinski sent Alisson the wrong way from the resulting, clear penalty. Zambo Anguissa exchanged passes with Zielinski and strolled into the area without meeting a challenge before beating Alisson with a cool finish. And a rare, necessary apology from Klopp to the travelling fans afterwards. Osimhen dispossessed the dawdling Joe Gomez to advance into the penalty area where Kvaratskhelia stood unmarked. Play had continued after the striker’s attempt to turn inside the Liverpool defender but, on his pitch-side monitor, the referee spotted contact between Van Dijk and Osimhen’s right foot. Napoli had revealed their hand to play quick, incisive passes behind the Liverpool defence. The hosts sliced through at will in the first half especially. The Liverpool manager’s instructions were abandoned after 42 seconds.

Liverpool has a long way to go to regain the form that took it to the final of last season's Champions League.

Klopp was sent off during a loss while coaching Borussia Dortmund in 2013, then was at the helm for Liverpool defeats in 2018 and 2019. “It was almost the perfect match,” Zielinski said. Liverpool has started the Premier League season with just two wins from six games. Kvaratskhelia dribbled by two players on the left flank before setting up Simeone perfectly. We need to wake up, and quickly.” “We were miles too open.

Liverpool never looked quite ready for Napoli, and their Champions League opener was marked by poor performances throughout the squad.

[Diogo Jota](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/208133/diogo-jota) (Salah, 63"), 5 -- Jota found himself in positive areas but he was quickly crowded out by defenders. [Darwin Nunez](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/271788/Darwin-Núñez) (Firmino, 62"), 6 -- Nunez looked to make runs in behind to stretch the play, but Liverpool didn't find him in space enough. [Joel Matip](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/134659/joel-matip) (Gomez, 45"), 6 -- Introduced at the break for Joe Gomez but could have done more for Napoli's 4th goal. [Thiago](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/195354/Thiago) (Milner, 63"), 7 -- A return from injury from Thiago saw him add more control to Liverpool's midfield, a factor that was desperately needed after Napoli's continued success. [Arthur](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/314861/Arthur) (Elliott, 77") N/R -- Introduced for Elliott in the 77th minute in a Liverpool debut against familiar opposition for the on-loan Juventus midfielder, and he looked to enjoy his minutes playing alongside Thiago. Replaced at half-time for [Joel Matip](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/134659/Joël-Matip). [Virgil van Dijk](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/157892/Virgil-van-Dijk), 4 -- The Netherlands star has to do much more to help command Liverpool's defensive line as the most experienced player in the side. Napoli kept the Egypt international quiet overall, in a match where he struggled to make an impact from the right wing. His finish outside the box early in the second-half was excellent, while he then came close with a header that was well saved by Meret. A clearance off the line denied [Napoli](/soccer/team?id=114) in the first half, but he then conceded a penalty. [Joe Gomez](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/102053/Joe-Gomez), 4 -- Nothing seemed to go right for Joe Gomez on the night who was caught in possession on a number of occasions, and in moments where he did make contact, the ball seemed to divert back into a dangerous area. The experienced midfielder was careless in possession, with many of his long balls easily dealt with by the Serie A side's defence.