Liverpool will not mind should history repeat itself and another late defeat in Naples eventually end with
Champions League glory but this was a dispiriting start to their defence of number six. Jürgen Klopp’s team were vastly improved on last season’s poor display here and on top when José Callejón darted into their penalty area in the closing stages. Andy Robertson’s clumsy foul brought familiar pain at the death.
Dries Mertens converted the 82nd minute penalty to leave the European champions with no reward for their improvement. This was an engrossing affair, with defenders and goalkeepers to the fore, but it turned into a miserable night for
Liverpool when a rare error from Virgil van Dijk enabled Fernando Llorente to seal Napoli’s victory in the final seconds.