In a season where Napoli have been described as unpredictable in some quarters, a somewhat more predictable course of events unfolded at Anfield as Liverpool ended the Champions League hopes of Carlo Ancelotti’s side with a 1-0 victory.
Coming into the game, it was hard to avoid feeling that Ancelotti needed three different game plans, such were the permutations of what could happen on the night.
The decision not to go with Arkadiusz Milik or Piotr Zielinski in the starting lineup was not particularly surprising and the game plan of targeting Liverpool youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold at right back was clear, with Fabian Ruiz pushed high up on the left and almost forming a front three at times with both Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens.
At 0-0 there was a feeling that Napoli were slowly growing into the game and had managed the fervent nature of the crowd.
Anfield on a Champions League night is a challenge to anyone, and the Azzurri found it no different.
Liverpool is not an intimidating away game by song, not particularly by continuous noise. Anfield comes alive on nights like this is when the crowd smell blood, they can sense it better than anyone around and it clearly wills their team whilst having an undeniable bearing on the opposition.
The turning point in the game came on 34 minutes and courtesy of Mohamed Salah. Napoli had, until that point, been happy to let Salah and the impressive Kalidou Koulibaly play out their own battle.
Yet, when James Milner slid the ball into Salah with his back to goal he was able to roll Mario Rui and square up Koulibaly before going past him and placing a shot across David Ospina.
Napoli responded well but went into the break behind. In the second half, they continued to target Trent with both Mertens and Insigne taking turns to exploit the space available down the Napoli right.
Yet at times the intentional long diagonal switch of play lacked to the right quality to get the visitors beyond the Reds’ last line. As the game wore on it inevitably became more stretched.
Napoli’s shape was made to look ragged by Liverpool’s insistent counter-attacking style, with Sadio Mane the most guilty culprit for the home side after he wasted a hat-trick of second-half chances.
There was hope in the dying moments when Jose Callejon’s deep cross found its way to Milik, who was through on goal, only to be thwarted by a fantastic stop from Alisson Becker.
Ultimately, Napoli and Ancelotti were caught in two minds all evening, unsure whether to fully commit to the notion of either sticking or twisting, whilst coming up against a team that can hurt and frustrate you in almost every way possible.
The Europa League now awaits Napoli in the new year, with the hope they can be more predictable in a winning sense in a different competition.
They will also feel they deserve some luck from the draw, which they will argue they did not get in this year’s Champions League.
