Liverpool 3 Napoli 1:MANAGERS MAY change, owners may change and the calibre of competition at Anfield may alter, but one truism about Liverpool in Europe remains. When the team is in trouble, call for Steven Gerrard. Roy Hodgson did against Napoli last night and was saved from an ignominious defeat by a glorious hat-trick from his captain.
Until the 75th minute this was shaping into a damaging evening for Liverpool’s manager. John W Henry was present for his first home game since New England Sports Ventures’ takeover, so too was Damien Comolli following yesterday’s appointment as the club’s new director of football strategy. It was no way to impress the new boss. Then Gerrard intervened with his 36th, 37th and 38th goals in Europe for Liverpool.
After events in Naples, where three Liverpool supporters were stabbed a fortnight ago, Merseyside Police were on high alert. There were also anxious looks among the stewards in the Main Stand when Napoli came out for their warm-up and dozens of Italians, who should have been sat in the Anfield Road, stood up to applaud. The Kop made its feelings clear in an array of derogatory banners, ranging from the blunt “Napoli Merda” to commentary on the city’s badly run refuse collection service.
Ezequiel Lavezzi carried Napoli’s most vibrant threat in the first encounter and maintained that form here. After a powerful run past Paul Konchesky on the Napoli right Lavezzi saw his first effort on goal deflected into the side-netting. His second flew narrowly wide from 20 yards and his third did find the target. The source was another galling moment for Hodgson.
Christian Poulsen, his €5.7 million signing from Juventus, met a routine header in central midfield with what would be described on Merseyside as a “50 pence head”. The ball sailed in the opposite direction to where it was intended, back towards the Liverpool goal, the striker Edinson Cavani sent an accurate header between Johnson and Jamie Carragher and Lavezzi scurried through to beat Jose Reina easily.
Johnson tested Morgan De Sanctis in the Napoli goal with a low shot from 25 yards after a good run inside. Liverpool tailed off badly as the first half wore on and it was no surprise when Hodgson summonsed Steven Gerrard from the bench at half-time in place of the ineffective Milan Jovanovic.
Gerrard’s introduction injected greater urgency into the home display and, though Christian Maggio almost doubled Napoli’s advantage with a free header straight at Reina, Liverpool had the opportunity to transform the tie. To the fury and frustration of Hodgson and Henry respectively, however, they squandered plenty.
David N’Gog failed to beat De Sanctis at close range when Jonjo Shelvey and Raul Meireles combined to set up the striker inside the six-yard area. Subsequent penalty appeals when Meireles’ cross struck Walter Gargano on the arm were dismissed by the referee, then the Portugal international stroked wide from close range after N’Gog’s touch.
With 15 minutes remaining Liverpool were gifted an equaliser by an old boy, Andrea Dossena. Napoli had smothered Shelvey’s run when the latest Anfield flop took possession and rolled a slovenly backpass towards his goalkeeper. Gerrard read the telegraphed invitation, dived in on De Sanctis and forced the ball over the line. Gerrard’s second was an emphatic penalty kick after Salvatore Aronica felled Johnson inside the area. His third was sublime, seizing on Lucas’ challenge to race clear and beat De Sanctis with a nonchalant chip.
GuardianService
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Konchesky, Poulsen (Eccleston 65), Spearing, Shelvey, Meireles, Jovanovic (Gerrard 46), Ngog (Lucas 82). Subs Not Used: Hansen, Wilson, Kelly, Skrtel. Booked: Johnson, Kyrgiakos.
NAPOLI: De Sanctis, Campagnaro, Cannavaro, Aronica, Maggio, Pazienza, Gargano, Dossena, Hamsik (Yebda 84), Lavezzi, Cavani. Subs Not Used: Gianello, Grava, Dumitru, Santacroce, Zuniga, Sosa. Booked: Dossena, Campagnaro, De Sanctis, Cavani.
Referee: Fredy Fautrel (France).
