Jurgen Klopp is of the opinion that Napoli would be though opponents when Liverpool host them at Anfield for the Uefa Champions League on Tuesday. He explained that his team will have to produce “something special” to come out victorious in the crunch fixture.
As it stands, Liverpool is in the third position in Group C. They must defeat Napoli by a minimum of one goal to nil, or two clear goals in order to book a place in the knockout stages of the competition.
Back in October, Napoli was able to edge past Liverpool by 1 goal to nil in the reverse fixture, and Jurgen Klopp believes this particular one will not just be a walkover for Liverpool.
Klopp explained: “It is a big task. Napoli did so well with Maurizio Sarri and now they have such an experienced manager in Carlo Ancelotti, who has come in. In the summer when we played them in a pre-season friendly, he was already full of praise about the club and its staff.
“He was talking about little changes he wanted to make and that is really tough after a very demanding coach like Sarri, making changes and keeping the players behind you after being very successful.”
Klopp continued, “You can see the differences and they are so good. They do really well in the league. We all know the results we need. It is difficult because Napoli is good in possession but is good counter-attacking as well and a typical Italian team, good at defending. So, it is a big challenge but it is football and if something special is possible, it is here.”
Klopp Clears the Air on Napoli Move
Napoli’s president recently mentioned that he made a move to sign Jurgen Klopp in 2013 when he was still managing Borussia Dortmund.
Klopp acknowledged the claim but was quick to leave out talks that he may yet consider a move to Italy later on.
He said, “I still have a three-and-a-half-year contract so I am not sure if anybody wants me after that. I like Italy and I like Italian food, but unfortunately, I don’t speak the language too well. I really like Mr. De Laurentiis but he doesn’t hide his information – he is quite chatty!
He concluded by emphasizing, “I don’t think I ever told anybody about that talk but he mentions it from time to time. I think he is really happy with his choices in the past – signing Maurizio Sarri was incredible. Now, having Carlo back is outstanding. I think they are really happy with the coaches they have.”
Also read: Mourinho is a Better Coach Than Me- Maurizio Sarri
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