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What do Liverpool need to qualify for Champions League last 16?

Holders came from behind to draw 1-1 with Napoli at Anfield

Mark Critchley
Wednesday 27 November 2019 22:42 GMT
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Liverpool need to avoid defeat away to Red Bull Salzburg in their final Champions League group game in order to reach the knock-out stages.

The holders came from behind to draw 1-1 with Napoli at Anfield on Wednesday night, with Dejan Lovren cancelling out Dries Mertens’ first-half goal.

Salzburg’s comfortable 4-1 win away at Genk means that the Austrian champions can still qualify for the last 16 by beating Liverpool in a fortnight’s time.

Realistically, any victory will see Salzburg progress unless Liverpool score four or more away goals. Liverpool beat Salzburg 4-3 when the two sides met at Anfield last month.

Jurgen Klopp’s side could also qualify with a defeat if Napoli lose at home to basement-dwelling Genk, though that appears unlikely.

If Liverpool fail to qualify, they are guaranteed to finish third in Group E and drop into the Europa League. They would become the first holders to do so since Chelsea in the 2012-13 season.

The draw with Napoli means Liverpool remain top of Group E but they must beat Salzburg away in order to be guaranteed to qualify as group winners.

Klopp admitted that the trip to Salzburg will be a difficult one but remains hopeful that his side can reach the last 16.

“In [the Napoli] dressing room they feel like they are already through and maybe they are,” he said. “Everybody here thinks, ‘Oh my god, it will be tough’ and it will be tough, that much is clear.

“The way Napoli set up, it didn’t help that they scored, they could follow their plan all the time, we had to increase pressure all the time. We were not brilliant but we put pressure on them.

“I was not happy with the last 15 minutes of the first half. Second half it was just intense and of course it’s not easy, they really defended the goal they had.

“We didn’t have the biggest chances, maybe one or two. For tonight it might not be enough but it’s still our situation. When we go to Salzburg, if we had done it tonight we would try to win there, so it’s still our goal.”

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