Liverpool were at the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline against Napoli in their first group game of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League campaign.
The Reds trailed just five minutes into their opening group game of the season, a place they have found increasingly difficult to visit in recent years. Piotr Zielinski, on this occasion, gave Napoli the lead from the spot after his initial shot had rebounded off James Milner’s arm – 1-0, the Partenopei led.
When Virgil van Dijk brought down Victor Osimhen inside the box in the 18th minute, it looked as if the Neapolitans would go two up, only for Alisson to save the resulting spot-kick from the Nigerian forward.
Nonetheless, Napoli did get their second – and third – goal before the break. Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa ghosted in behind the Liverpool defence in the 31st minute to score before Giovanni Simeone converted a tap-in from close range in the 44th minute.
Anguissa, Simeone, and Zielinski combined to put Napoli 4-0 up two minutes after the interval. Anguissa clipped the ball in behind for Simeone to chase, who, in turn, squared it to Zielinski for the finish – albeit at the second time of asking. Luis Diaz pulled a goal back for the Reds in the 49th minute, but it stood as mere consolation as Napoli ran away with a convincing win.
Meanwhile, AFC Ajax thrashed Rangers 4-0 in the other Group A game, with four different players registering themselves on the scoresheet. Edson Alvarez, Steven Berghuis, and Mohammed Kudus put the Dutch giants three goals ahead before the break, and Steven Bergwijn added a fourth close to the end to wrap up a comfortable victory.
In Group B’s big game, Atletico Madrid beat FC Porto 2-1, with all three goals scored in the second-half stoppage time.
Mario Hermoso put the Rojiblancos ahead in the 91st minute with a deflected effort but, just five minutes later, conceded a penalty at the other end, which Mateus Uribe converted, bringing the ten-men Porto level. Antoine Griezmann, however, diverted a flick from Axel Witsel with the last kick of the game to win the match for the Spanish giants.
Atletico went top of the group, where Club Brugge joined them following their narrow win over Bayer Leverkusen.
