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24

2019 Van Dijk Error Hands Napoli

18th,

September Victory Over The Champions

| Chelsea Lose In Valencia After Ross
EXAMINER fluffed a Barkley Misses Late Penalty

Ross Barkley
late

IRISH penalty as Frank
Lampard suffered
on
defeat
his
C h a m p i o n s
League debut as
Chelsea manager.
The Blues,
trailing to a goal
from Valencia
winger Rodrigo,
were given a life-
line in the closing
stages when VAR
iverpool began the couple of misplaced passes the half, Liverpool were grate- flagged up a handball in the area.
defense of their from Van Dijk, the second of ful for a world-class save from But Barkley’s spot-kick clipped the crossbar to condemn
LChampions League which allowed Napoli to Adrian a few minutes after the Lampard and his young side to a 1-0 loss in the Group H open-
crown on a losing note as Dries breakaway, and only Adrian’s resumption to keep the scores er.
Mertens’ penalty and Fernando reflexes and an offside decision level. The Spaniards were supposed to be there for the taking, hav-
Llorente’s injury-time strike spared Liverpool. The former West Ham ing arrived in west London in turmoil following the sacking of
handed Napoli a 2-0 victory. The ball was cut back to goalkeeper’s fingertips were popular boss Marcelino last week, a move which has angered the
On a balmy night at the Fabian Ruiz on the edge of the enough to lift Mertens’ volley players as well as the fans.
intimidating Stadio San Paolo, area and his brace of strikes from point-blank range over But they did not play like a team on the verge of mutiny and
the Reds fell behind in the stung the palms of Adrian the bar following a tantalizing had too much nous for Lampard’s beginners, four of whom
82nd minute when Mertens before Hirving Lozano headed ball to the back post from Rui were making their Champions League debuts.
converted from the spot after into an empty net, only for the on the left. Lampard, who played 102 Champions League matches for
Andy Robertson had upended linesman to correctly raise his Liverpool were then pre- Chelsea and captained them to their 2012 triumph, was perfect-
Jose Callejon in the area. flag. sented with a two-on-one ly placed to impart his experience of playing at this level to his
Substitute Llorente – part of Chances were at a premium counter-attack moments later youngsters – but it could still be a steep learning curve this sea-
the Tottenham side beaten by for thereafter as Liverpool’s but Mane’s belated decision to son.
the Reds in last season’s Van Dijk and Napoli’s Kalidou square the ball to Salah was Tammy Abraham, fresh from his hat-trick at Wolves, was
Champions League final – then Koulibaly – rated among the horribly misjudged and the denied a maiden Champions League goal when his near-post
took advantage of a mistake two best center-backs in the chance went begging. flick was blocked by Valencia keeper Jasper Cillessen.
from Virgil Van Dijk to bag his world – made telling interven- Salah was then presented Fellow rookie Mason Mount then received a painful introduc-
first goal for Napoli after join- tions. with an opportunity after tion to Europe when former Arsenal midfielder Frances
ing them earlier this month. There was a suspicion Kostas Manolas sliced an Coquelin left his studs on the inside of the youngster’s shin.
Liverpool have started their Koulibaly had tugged Salah’s attempted clearance, with the It was a nasty challenge which only earned Coquelin a yellow
Premier League campaign shirt as the Egyptian livewire 27-year-old Reds forward firing card, but after trying to play on Mount’s match came to a prema-
with five successive victories broke into the box on the half across goal which forced Meret ture end after 14 minutes.
but largely struggled for com- hour but the Liverpool for- into a full-length diving save. Abraham went close again with a far-post header from Cesar
posure in their Group E open- ward remained on his feet and Napoli, though, were gifted Azpilicueta’s cross and Willian’s powerful run through the mid-
er, while they lacked a clinical any appeals for a penalty were a foothold when Robertson dle only produced a shot which flew wide.
edge on a night where they muted. was adjudged to have fouled Willian, Chelsea’s biggest threat in the first half, almost fash-
were barracked throughout by Liverpool were gradually Callejon in the box as he cut in ioned a spectacular opener when he controlled Mateo Kovacic’s
a boisterous home support. growing in confidence despite from the right, with Adrian crossfield pass on his chest, but his first-time shot flew over.
They were indebted to a the crowd hostility, with Sadio getting a hand to the powerful And on the stroke of half-time the Brazilian’s fierce drive
couple of crucial saves from Mane’s strike from a narrow penalty but not enough to pre- towards the near post was parried clear by Cillessen.
goalkeeper Adrian for keeping angle saved by the legs of vent the ball from finding the Marcos Alonso took the game to Valencia early in the second
the scores level and, though Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret net. half, drilling in a free-kick which Cillessen tipped behind before
Roberto Firmino and while James Milner’s attempt By this stage, there were heading the resulting corner over.
Mohamed Salah went close for to find Salah at the back post deafening boos every time But in the 74th minute they fell behind, Rodrigo giving the
the visitors, their errors in the produced a last-gasp intercep- Liverpool touched the ball and Chelsea defense the slip as he raced onto Daniel Parejo’s chipped
later stages proved costly. tion from full-back Mario Rui. they never threatened an free-kick and swept the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga.
This was their second defeat The resulting short corner equalizer. Chelsea’s chance to snatch a point arrived five minutes from
in Naples inside a year, having led to the recalled Milner’s However, there was still time when their players appealed for a handball, and replays did
gone all the way in Europe’s delivery being headed inches enough time for Llorente to indeed show Fikayo Tomori’s header had struck the arm of
elite club competition despite wide of the far post by double Napoli’s lead in the sec- defender Daniel Wass.
losing all three matches away Firmino, the visitors’ best ond minute of added time, After an interminable VAR delay a spot-kick was finally given
from Anfield in the group stage chance of the opening 45 min- Van Dijk losing the ball on the but Barkley, on as a substitute just seven minutes earlier, took
last season. utes on the Brazilian’s 200th edge of the area which allowed responsibility only to crash his effort against the frame of the
It was a tentative start from appearance for Liverpool. the Spaniard to slot beyond goal. C
the Merseysiders, typified by a Despite a promising end to Adrian. C