Napoli 4-1 Liverpool LIVE! Diaz goal - Champions League result, match stream and latest updates today

Liverpool, Champions League runners-up last season, suffered a shock 4-1 defeat by Napoli in their opening Group A game at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Wednesday.

The Italian side were magnificent in the opening 45 minutes, going in 3-0 up at the break having opened up a woeful Liverpool defence at will.

Juergen Klopp’s team looked nothing like the side who reached the final last season, disorganised at the back and lacking any edge in midfield or attack.

Napoli have now beaten Liverpool on all three occassions they have hosted them in the competition’s group stage and Luciano Spalletti’s side will feel they have a real chance of getting out of a group that also features Ajax and Rangers.

Napoli were quick out of the blocks with Victor Osimhen hitting the post in the second minute and three minutes later they grabbed the lead when James Milner handled in the box and Piotr Zielinski converted the penalty.

Napoli were opening up Liverpool with ease and were awarded a second penalty when a VAR review ruled that Osimhen had been brought down by Virgil van Dijk. The Napoli forward opted to take the kick himself but his effort was saved by Alisson Becker.

Van Dijk had to clear off the line to keep out an effort by the outstanding Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after Osimhen had robbed a struggling Joe Gomez.

Gomez lost out again leading to the second goal when Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa played a quick one-two with Zielinski and slotted in off the inside of the post.

BRIEF SPELL

Liverpool had a brief spell of pressure, Van Dijk forcing a save out of Napoli keeper Alex Meret with a header and Harvey Elliott putting the ball wide from close range at the back post.

But Napoli were devastating in possession and substitute Giovanni Simeone made it 3-0 just before the break, slotting home after Kvaratskhelia had beaten Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez before slipping the ball across.

Liverpool replaced Gomez with Joel Matip but within two minutes of the restart Napoli went 4-0 up. Simeone found Zielinksi and the Pole’s shot was blocked by Alisson before he reacted sharply to poke the ball home.

Klopp’s side pulled a goal back two minutes later thanks to a fine curling shot from Luis Diaz but there was no way back for the English side.

"We were miles too open. You can’t come to a place like this and not be compact. They were by miles the better team," said Liverpool left back Andy Robertson.

"Too many times they had spaces to run at us and cause us problems. You come away in the Champions League and you can’t be wide open like that. We have to get back to basics and be compact," he added.

Additional reporting from Reuters

Napoli vs Liverpool latest news

• Full match report

SSC Napoli 4 - 1 Liverpool FC

Full match report

22:11 , Jonathan Gorrie

A bad start to the season for Liverpool got worse with a total capitulation away at Napoli.

Jurgen Klopp’s side lost 4-1 at the Diego Maradona Stadium, with all of the defensive frailties shown this season amplified on a sobering night in Naples.

With Klopp looking for a welcome distraction from some indifferent Premier League form, European football seemed like the best possible pastime.

Still, the opening Champions League game of the group saw a brittle Liverpool side taken apart far too easily.

After only five minutes, James Milner – who look increasingly like a man who simply cannot play at the top level any longer – conceded a penalty after a handball.

Read the full match report here!

FT: Napoli 4-0 Liverpool

21:55 , Jonathan Gorrie

Into added time

21:50 , Jonathan Gorrie

90:00 - 4 minutes added on.

Game ragged

21:42 , Jonathan Gorrie

82:00 - A series of changes has killed the tempo of this game.

Liverpool make a change

21:35 , Jonathan Gorrie

21:34 , Jonathan Gorrie

Napoli in n rush

21:28 , Jonathan Gorrie

68:00 - Napoli more than happy to waste as much time as possible. Liverpool have improved slightly since their goal, with Nunez seeing a shot blocked, but its hardly convincing.

Klopp rings the changes

21:21 , Jonathan Gorrie

CHANCE FOR LIVERPOOL!

21:20 , Jonathan Gorrie

63:00 - Diaz’s bullet header brings out a massive save from Meret!

Nunez warming up

21:18 , Jonathan Gorrie

61:00 - Nunez going through a pretty intense warm-up. Could this be his moment?

Joel Matip keeps Liverpool in the game

21:16 , Jonathan Gorrie

57:00 - Matip puts in a huge block to keep Liverpool in the game.

Signs of nerves from Napoli

21:13 , Jonathan Gorrie

54:00 - Strangely, Napoli look a lot less assured at the moment.

Despite boasting a three-goal lead, they could do with taking the sting out of the game.

CHANCE FOR LIVERPOOL!

21:11 , Jonathan Gorrie

52:00 - Diaz SO close to making it 4-2 with another curling shot.

GOAL! Napoli 4-1 Liverpool

21:08 , Jonathan Gorrie

48:00 - Diaz pulls one back for Liverpool.

GOAL! Napoli 4-0 Liverpool | Piotr Zielinski ‘47

21:06 , Jonathan Gorrie

47:00 - Turns out they can be!

Zielinski scores his second of the game and Napoli’s fourth with far too much ease.

Back underway!

21:05 , Jonathan Gorrie

46:00 - Matip on for Gomez. Surely Liverpool can’t be as bad in the second-half?

Changes at the break

20:59 , Jonathan Gorrie

It seems Joel Matip will be coming on for Joe Gomez.

Michael Owen on BT Sport

20:58 , Jonathan Gorrie

“Liverpool fans have been expecting this for a while now.”

A Liverpool legend is not impressed

20:55 , Jonathan Gorrie

20:50 , Jonathan Gorrie

HT: Napoli 3-0 Liverpool

20:49 , Jonathan Gorrie

Brilliant stuff from Napoli but, seriously, what is wrong with Liverpool?

GOAL! Napoli 3-0 Liverpool | Giovanni Simeone

20:47 , Jonathan Gorrie

45:00 - An instant impact, Simeone scores with a tap-in.

Bad news for Napoli

20:44 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lots of the ball but little idea

20:41 , Jonathan Gorrie

41:00 - Half-chances aside, Liverpool have created next to nothing tonight.

Hard to remember a worse performance.

A few half-chances for Liverpool

20:37 , Jonathan Gorrie

36:00 - Elliot and van Dijk go reasonably close after set-pieces from Liverpool but the away side look shell-shocked.

GOAL! Napoli 2-0 Liverpool | Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa

20:33 , Jonathan Gorrie

31:00 - And Napoli have their second!

Gomez robbed in his own half and some quick passing frees Anguissa in the box, with the former Fulham midfielder slotting home.

It should be 3-0 Napoli

20:30 , Jonathan Gorrie

30:00 - Liverpool very lucky not to be 3-0 down.

OFF THE LINE

20:28 , Jonathan Gorrie

27:00 - Van Dijk has to clear one off the line to deny Kvaratskhelia after an awful error from Joe Gomez.

Really poor start from Liverpool

20:26 , Jonathan Gorrie

26:00 - How often have we said that this season?

CHANCE FOR LIVERPOOL!

20:23 , Jonathan Gorrie

23:00 - Salah can’t control Alexander-Arnold’s brilliant pass. Big chance for Liverpool.

Liverpool force a save

20:22 , Jonathan Gorrie

22:00 - Meret has to tip Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick over the bar.

ALISSON SAVES!

20:19 , Jonathan Gorrie

17:00 - Alisson comes up trumps to stop a bad start getting worse for Liverpool.

ANOTHER PENALTY FOR NAPOLI

20:18 , Jonathan Gorrie

17:00 - Osimhen brought down by van Dijk. VAR award a SECOND penalty.

Napoli very hard to break down

20:18 , Jonathan Gorrie

16:00 - Last few minutes have seen Liverpool get some control in midfield but they just cannot find a way through.

Liverpool get their first sniff on goal

20:12 , Jonathan Gorrie

11:00 - Salah ghosts behind Napoli’s backline but sees his shot blocked.

James Milner struggling

20:11 , Jonathan Gorrie

10:00 - Is this one season too far for Milner? He’s given away a penalty and is now booked for a late challenge.

Napoli in control

20:09 , Jonathan Gorrie

09:00 - They’re cutting Liverpool apart with ease in the opening stages.

Anguissa sees a shot blocked as the home side threaten to run riot. Klopp is fuming!

GOAL! Napoli 1-0 Liverpool | Piotr Zielinski ‘5

20:06 , Jonathan Gorrie

5:00 -Zielinski, frequently linked with Liverpool, scores from the spot.

PENALTY TO NAPOLI

20:05 , Jonathan Gorrie

04:00 - A bad start gets worse for Liverpool as a cross strikes Milner’s hand in the box.

CHANCE FOR NAPOLI

20:02 , Jonathan Gorrie

01:00 - Wow what a start! Osimhen hits the post after breaking in-behind, though his touch took him wide.

KICK-OFF

20:01 , Jonathan Gorrie

Away we go!

Liverpool eyeing record

19:48 , Jonathan Gorrie

Another win would make Liverpool the first English side to manage seven straight group-stage victories in the Champions League.

A bad result for Rangers

19:37 , Jonathan Gorrie

Ajax make an early statement in the group...

Alisson tells Liverpool fans all about Arthur Melo

19:32 , Jonathan Gorrie

“I’m looking forward to him being fit and settled in as soon as possible,” said Alisson. “I did the same move as him, it’s not easy moving to a new country.

“But with his qualities and his desire he can overcome any small problems and I really believe he can bring a lot of quality to the team.”

Liverpool’s next big midfield signing?

19:17 , Jonathan Gorrie

A look inside the cauldron

19:16 , Jonathan Gorrie

Latest odds

19:12 , Jonathan Gorrie

SBK - Match result

Napoli to win 3/1

The draw 3/1

Liverpool to win 10/11

Liverpool arrive

19:02 , Jonathan Gorrie

Confirmed Napoli lineup

18:48 , Jonathan Gorrie

Confirmed Liverpool lineup

18:42 , Jonathan Gorrie

Elsewhere in Liverpool’s group

18:38 , Jonathan Gorrie

Not ideal for Rangers...

Klopp reveals key double Liverpool injury boost

18:34 , Jonathan Gorrie

Jurgen Klopp is hopeful that Liverpool‘s Fabio Carvalho will make a quick recovery from the injury suffered against Everton.

The Portuguese Under-21 international, a summer signing from newly-promoted Fulham, was rewarded for his last-gasp winner against Newcastle in midweek with a first Reds start in the 242nd edition of the Merseyside derby on Saturday.

But Carvalho’s afternoon lasted only for 45 minutes at Goodison Park, with the 20-year-old replaced by Roberto Firmino at the interval after being hurt by a cynical challenge from Everton’s Amadou Onana that earned the Belgian - himself the victim of a poor tackle from Virgil van Dijk that Frank Lampard felt was worthy of a sending off - a yellow card.

Klopp has since moved to allay fears that Carvalho will be yet another addition to a Liverpool treatment room that has been bursting at the seams during their worst start to a top-flight season under the German’s seven-year tenure.

Read the full story here!

Napoli looking to make a big statement

18:19 , Jonathan Gorrie

Liverpool target tells club move to Premier League is ‘not a must’

18:10 , Jonathan Gorrie

Konrad Laimer admits a late move to Liverpool was never on the cards despite intense speculation during the closing hours of the summer transfer window.

With Jurgen Klopp making a U-turn in his decision not to sign a midfielder after an injury crisis derailed his side’s start to the season, the Austrian international was heavily linked with a move.

Bayern Munich were another club touted as a potential landing spot and the fact the 25-year-old has less than a year to go on his contract will likely only lead to more transfer talk over the coming months.

Though they reportedly tracked Laimer, Liverpool ended up making a last-ditch loan swoop for Juventus and Brazil star Arthur Melo.

Read his full comments here!

Head to head (h2h) history and results

17:53 , Jonathan Gorrie

Napoli wins: 2

Draws: 2

Liverpool wins: 2

Prediction: 2-2 draw

17:34 , Jonathan Gorrie

Napoli are more than capable of continuing Liverpool’s poor run by dominating the midfield battle. Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz were again starved of service by a poor Everton side, and the hosts’ own attacking talent can punish the Reds.

Liverpool can, of course, get at Napoli, who are not as tight a ship since Kalidou Koulibaly’s exit, so we should have an entertaining game in store in Naples.

Napoli and Liverpool to share a 2-2 draw.

Liverpool news: Thiago in contention

17:33 , Jonathan Gorrie

For Liverpool, deadline-day signing Arthur Melo could come in for his debut to help their midfield struggles, with Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all sidelined.

Thiago Alcantara could play some part, while Harvey Elliott is likely to keep his place. Both Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain have been omitted from the group stage squad.

Fabio Carvalho is a doubt after limping off over the weekend. Andy Robertson did not start the Merseyside derby but surely will in Naples, while Trent Alexander-Arnold was taken off before the hour mark so will also be fresh.

Napoli team news: Lozano a doubt

17:33 , Jonathan Gorrie

Napoli star forward Hirving Lozano is a doubt after being stretchered off against Lazio at the weekend, meaning Matteo Politano should come in.

Where to watch Napoli vs Liverpool

17:31 , Jonathan Gorrie

TV channel: In the UK, tonight’s match will be televised live on BT Sport 2, with coverage beginning at 7pm.

Live stream: BT Sport subscribers will also be able to watch the game online via the BT Sport website or app.

Live blog: You can follow all tonight’s action via Standard Sport’s live match blog.

Welcome

16:18 , Jonathan Gorrie

Good afternoon and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Liverpool’s trip to Napoli in the Champions League this evening.

Kick-off from the Diego Maradona Stadium is at 8pm BST.