On a reunion that evokes memories of his stunning stoppage-time save in 2018, Alisson will join Liverpool’s all-time European top three if he starts at Napoli.
Alisson could play his 39th European game for the club and that would represent the third-highest number by any Reds keeper, moving clear of Bruce Grobbelaar and Jerzy Dudek (both 38).
But the Brazilian is still a long way behind Pepe Reina (84) and Ray Clemence (80), who are also way ahead in terms of clean sheets.
Liverpool’s current No. 1 has kept 16 clean sheets in Europe so far, with Reina recording 38 shutouts and Clemence 39.
Grobbelaar kept 18 and Dudek kept 17, with Alisson able to draw level with the Pole if he does not concede tonight.
Alisson averages a clean sheet every 2.38 games, with Reina having averaged one every 2.21 and Clemence one every 2.05.
Salah’s drought
Mo Salah has not scored in the last six games in the Champions League since scoring at Inter Milan back in February.
He scored in eight successive away European games but not in the last two at Benfica and Villarreal.
Salah and Roberto Firmino jointly hold the record for most goals for Liverpool in a European season – both scoring 11 in the 2017/18 season.
The Egyptian is seven goals behind Steven Gerrard’s club record of 41 in Europe.
Liverpool in Italy
The Reds have won six of 16 encounters in Italy with seven defeats and three draws, failing to score on nine occasions.
In those six victories, the Reds have conceded one goal in total.
Two of those wins came in successive games last season on the same ground, beating AC Milan (2-1) and Inter (2-0) in the San Siro in the round of 16.
They hope to win in Italy for the fourth successive time for the first time ever.
Liverpool have scored nine goals in the last three visits to Italy, after netting six times in the previous 13 encounters on Italian soil as the away team.
Bogey ground
Liverpool have never won on this ground – drawing once in the Europa League group stage in 2010 and losing twice in the Champions League group stage.
They lost 1-0 in 2018 and 2-0 the following season.
The Reds have not conceded at Napoli in the opening 81 minutes of their three games, but conceded three times in total.
Away fortunes
In games on an opponent’s ground, Liverpool won all six games last season, scoring 18 and conceding seven, and in doing so became the first team in Champions League history to achieve the feat.
The Reds last lost on an opponent’s ground in this competition at Real Madrid at the quarter-final stage in April 2021.
They are looking to win seven away European games in a row for the first time ever.
Spalletti’s reunion
Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti was in charge of Zenit St Petersburg when they eliminated Liverpool from the Europa League in the round of 32 in 2013.
Alisson and Salah played under the current Napoli coach while at Roma in 2016/17.
Tonight’s referee
Carlos Del Cerro Grande (Spain). A 46-year-old from Madrid, he took charge of the 1-1 draw between the teams at Anfield in November 2019.
Liverpool have not won any of the two games he has refereed, while Napoli have won one of three.
This season’s scorers
Napoli: Kvaratskhelia 4, Kim 2, Osimhen 2, Elmas 1, Lobotka 1, Politano 1, Zielinski 1
Liverpool: Diaz 3, Firmino 3, Salah 3, Alexander-Arnold 2, Carvalho 2, Nunez 2, Elliott 1, Van Dijk 1, own goals 1
* Stats courtesy of LFC statistician Ged Rea (@ged0407).
