Liverpool were defeated by Napoli as Lewandowski scored a hat-trick for Barcelona
Napoli inflicted a stunning 4-1 defeat on Liverpool in the opening match of the Champions League in Naples on Wednesday Paris (AFP) – Last season’s beaten finalists Liverpool got their Champions League campaign off to a disastrous start in a 4-1 defeat away to Napoli on Wednesday, while Robert Lewandowski hit a hat-trick in a big win for Barcelona. Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich also started their campaigns with victories, but Rangers thrashed Ajax 4-0 in the Netherlands upon their return to the group stage of the European club competition. Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have won just two of their first six Premier League games this season and there has been no improvement in their journey to Italy with Napoli taking early lead and never looking back. Peter Zielinsky scored a penalty kick in the fifth minute, and Victor Osimhen scored a second penalty kick for Napoli, which was saved by Alisson Becker. Liverpool fell further two minutes into the second half as Zielinski continued to score after saving his initial effort, but Luis Diaz slipped back with a goal. “We have to get up and fast because we can’t perform like this.” Robert Lewandowski enjoyed his Champions League debut with a Barcelona shirt Edson Alvarez headed Ajax in front before Stephen Burgess’ shot veered off the goal and a superb single shot from Mohamed Kodos was issued 3-0 in front of Ajax at the end of the first half. The Dutchman insisted: “To compete in the Champions League, you spend hundreds of millions, and for us to compete, it is too much.” Lewandowski became the first player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League for three different clubs, with the former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich star making his debut in the competition in style with Barcelona. Richarlison (right) celebrates after scoring one of Tottenham’s two goals in Tottenham’s 2-0 win over Marseille The Pole now has 89 Champions League goals, three more than Karim Benzema, and only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi ahead of him. The Germans scored a superb 2-0 win away to Inter Milan on Wednesday, as Leroy Sane beat Andre Onana in the first-half opener and then pushed Danilo Dembrosio to net an own goal in the 66th minute. Riccarlison prepares for Tottenham – Antoine Griezmann (right) celebrates with Mario Hermoso after scoring the winning goal for Atletico Madrid over Porto in the 11th minute of stoppage time. Also in Group D, Sporting Lisbon scored three goals in the second half to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0, with Marcus Edwards, former Tottenham youth player, Francisco Trincao and Nuno Santos on goal. In the second group, Antoine Griezmann scored the winning goal in the 11th minute of stoppage time, as Atletico Madrid beat Porto 2-1. Hermoso then received a penalty for a handball, allowing Matheus Uribe to equalize in the 96th minute, only for Griezmann to finally laugh. The only other match in Champions League history to score three goals in stoppage time was Porto’s meeting with Atlético in December last year. In the same group, Abacar Sylla’s header was passed over the line by the goalkeeper to give Club Brugge a 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen.
But Napoli – who beat Liverpool at home in the group stages in 2018 and 2019 – were 3-0 ahead at halftime as Andre Frank Zambo-Anguisa followed up with kicks from substitute Giovanni Simeone.
“We were miles very open. You can’t get into a place like this and not be stressed. They were the better team by miles,” Liverpool left back Andy Robertson told BT Sport.
– Rangers crushed by Ajax –
The next match for Group A, who have won the European Cup six times, will be at home to Ajax, who could have won more than four at home against Rangers, who reached the Europa League final last season and played in the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2010.
Steven Bergwijn launched on a poor back pass to score a late win in Amsterdam, leaving Rangers coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst to give a grim assessment of his side’s prospects.
The Catalans crushed Czech champion Viktoria Plzen 5-1 in the third set, and it was Frank Kessie in the opening match before Lewandowski made it 2-0.
Jan Sikora reduced the difference only for Lewandowski to score again before the end of the first half and then scored his third goal in the middle of the second half.
Ferran Torres scored the fifth goal for Barcelona, ??whose next match will be away to the old Bayern Munich led by Lewandowski.
Tottenham Hotspur, led by Antonio Conte, struggled to smash Marseille in north London until French side Chancel Mbemba were sent off after the break.
Richarlison scored the opening goal in the 76th minute with his head in Ivan Perisic’s cross, and the Brazilian hit again shortly after to make the score 2-0.
“I think we felt a little bit of pressure in this competition, but in the end we should be happy,” Conte said of the win.
On a fine finish, Porto sent off Mehdi Tarimi late in the game before Mario Hermoso put Atletico ahead in the 92nd minute.
