Jurgen Klopp is hoping that his Liverpool side will finally be able to beat Napoli when they meet in the Champions League group stages on Wednesday night.
It is around three months since Liverpool suffered a 1-0 loss in the Champions League final at the hands of Real Madrid on a night overshadowed by chaotic scenes outside the Stade de France.
The Reds have been drawn to face Ajax, Rangers and Napoli in Group A. They face the latter at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday night.
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But Klopp has not enjoyed the best of times on his previous visits to Naples, having lost 2-1 with Borussia Dortmund in 2013 before losing 1-0 with the Reds in 2018 and 2-0 the following year.
“I have never won here,” the German said of his three previous Champions League group stage visits. “Not with Liverpool. Not with Dortmund.
“But we have frequently qualified for another final after Napoli was with us in the group stage. I am not sure all the time… but who cares.
“I am, how we say in Germany, a late bloomer. I need always a little bit longer to achieve my stuff.
“That means sometimes I have to try two times, sometimes three times, sometimes four times and Napoli obviously four times.
“What do we have to do? Play better than in the previous three games? That would be very helpful because we didn’t play particularly well when we came here. Another reason Napoli is pretty strong.”
Klopp heads to Italy with a number of key players missing from his 21-strong travelling party.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is among those sidelined but Thiago Alcantara is able to make his first appearance since suffering a hamstring strain a month ago.
“Thiago back in training,” Klopp said. “Second day today. It means he is ready. For how long we will see.
“Hendo, we had the results of the scan and it will be after the international break, I think, he will be back.”
Injuries have left the Reds particularly light in midfield, which led to their deadline-day swoop for Arthur from Juventus.
The 26-year-old has not played a competitive match since his substitute appearance in May’s Coppa Italia final and could make his bow in Naples.
“Arthur just needs football now, training especially, that’s how it is,” Klopp said.
“He wasn’t in team training for a while at Juve so he needs proper team training and that’s what we are doing with him.
“Can he…
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