‘They live for this’ - Fabio Cannavaro makes Liverpool tactical claim ahead of Napoli clash
Liverpool face Napoli in the Champions League at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Italy legend Fabio Cannavaro believes that Napoli must be aware of making any mistakes against 'ruthless' Liverpool.
The Reds raise their curtain to their 2022-23 Champions League campaign when they face the Azzurri at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona tonight (20.00 BST).
Jurgen Klopp's side have started their Premier League season somewhat out of sorts. They've picked up only nine points out of a possible 18 in their opening six matches.
Napoli, meanwhile, are second in Serie A after three wins and two draws.
Cannavaro, speaking to Italian outlet Areanapoli, believes Liverpool are suffering after selling Sadio Mane to AC Milan during the summer transfer window.
But the former centre-back, who captained Italy to World Cup glory in 2006, warned his boyhood club Napoli of the danger the Reds will pose on the counter-attack.
What’s been said
He said: “The English [Liverpool] have lost a little bit compared to last year.
“Mane put in work both in defence and in the final third and it is clear that they are still struggling.
“They struggled against an aggressive Everton, a team that did not make mistakes in their own half.
“But the Reds are ruthless, they are cynical, they live on the mistakes that their opponents make up front, they press and push you to make mistakes.
“And as soon as you make a mistake, they punish you.
"At the exit, Napoli will have to have their antennas upright.
“What the various (Stanislav) Lobotka, (André-Frank Zambo) Anguissa, (Piotr) Zielinski will have to do is a fundamental job - because Liverpool hardly grace you because they live for this.”