Why then have Italian teams struggled in Europe and what does the future hold for Italian teams on the continental stage? 

Firstly we must look at the success in the 90s where Italian football finances were at their peak and this led to the league attracting some of the Worlds best talent with players such as Zinedine Zidane and Kaka plying their trade in Serie A. This attracted large worldwide audiences which only added to the riches of Italian football. The peak for the Italian game came in 2002-03 when AC Milan beat rivals Juventus in an all Italian Champions League final, cementing Italian football as the dominant force. We then learnt that these heights would be hard to reach again.

With the rise of the Premier League and its major television rights it would soon become clear that nobody except Real Madrid and Barcelona were going to be able to compete with the riches of the English game. With Juventus, Internationale, Roma and Lazio all having financial issues going into the 2022/23 season due to a variety of factors it was clear that success on the European stage would only act as a bonus for these debt ridden clubs.

With Premier League clubs seemingly allowed to spend however much they wish on incoming transfers the same cannot be said in Italy where clubs like Roma simply relied on free transfers and loan deals to compliment their squad. This leads to Serie A clubs becoming less competitive as they can’t spend these obscene amounts of money.

Another factor clear to see in this demise is that of actual footballing quality. It seems Italian teams have a lack of ideas when it comes to European competitions and struggle to overcome the quality and intensity from other teams. This may be due to the lax nature of Serie A where older players are given the go ahead over young players leading to a slower intensity. That is why national team boss Roberto Mancini is pleading with bosses to give young players the go ahead in League fixtures. 

For example in the 2021/22 Champions League Juventus were simply undone by a resolute Unai Emery Villereal side and had no answers to the Spanish clubs defensive organisation. Scudetto winners of that season AC Milan were embarrassed in their group and finished bottom on four points with the club clearly lacking experience in this competition. Inter Milan were deservedly knocked out by Liverppol but did give a good account of themselves while Atalanta dropped into the Europa League. Therefore a poor showing by Serie A clubs.

Since 2010 though Italian teams have not been dealt a great hand in this competition. Max Allegri’s legendary Scudetto topping Juventus side made it to two Champions League finals from 2014-2017 but were unlucky to come up against the MSN inspired Barcelona and arguably the best Champions League side of all in Real Madrid. Juventus were also unlucky in 2020/21 when they were knocked out on away goals in extra time by Porto. Had Cristiano Ronaldo not ducked from a free kick they would have probably gone through, deservedly. However that season no Italian team even made it to the quarterfinals which a decade ago would have seemed unthinkable.

However in this season’s Champions League fans of the Italian game should have more hope than before. Although Juventus will not be in the knockouts, both Milan clubs and Napoli are into the latter rounds and will be hoping to give a good account of themselves. With Napoli in seemingly unbeatable form the hopes of Italian neutrals will be on them to bring back the coveted trophy for the first time since 2010 and who would bet against them after their thrashings of Liverpool and Ajax. 

(Fourth photo)

The future of Italian teams in Europe depends on whether the likes of Simone Inzaghi, Luciano Spalletii and Simone Pioli can get their tactics right against top quality opposition. In years gone past this has not occurred but don’t bet against this plucky trio of teams who want to prove their worth to Europe. 

Whether it’s due to poor finances, a lack of tactical ideas or simply being unlucky Italian teams have underperformed on the continent for the last decade. With the English game becoming more dominant by the day it will be fascinating to see whether Italian clubs will maintain this pattern or disrupt it and go on to reach the heights of the 1990s.

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Photo: Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)

Napoli travelled to Liverpool as the in-form team in Europe with both an unbeaten domestic and European record in tact while scoring goals for fun with 50 in all competitions, including 20 in their five previous Champions League matches.

Napoli started the match off strongly and were in control of the game for the first quarter. They were looking sharper, stronger in the tackle and their passing was more fluid than the home side. However despite their sleek football they didn’t really give Liverpool’s keeper Allison too much trouble.

The Reds managed to work their way into the game with the help of a noisy home support. Mo Salah slipped in Curtis from a tight angle who tried to pop it over the on-rushing goalkeeper but also managed to just to clip it over the bar.

Shortly after half time Napoli’s Norwegian defender Leo Skiri Østigård scored a header from a free kick. However VAR ruled out the goal for off-side.

The match continued to remain goal-less and the deadlock wasn’t broken until the 84th minute.  Van Dyke had a powerful header from a corner saved but Mo Salah was there to score to edge the home side in front. In doing so Salah equalled the all-time European goal scoring record for Liverpool of 41 goals set by Steven Gerrard.

The late goal gave Liverpool the confidence to play the ball around a little bit sharper and they managed to grab a second and secure the win late in stoppage time.

Another Liverpool corner was met by a powerful header by Van Dyke and Nunez managed to prod it over the line in the 97th minute. The celebrations were momentarily cut short for offside, but in the end the goal was given following a consultation with VAR.

There was no time left however for Liverpool to grab a third goal to overtake Napoli to the top spot in the group courtesy of a better head-to-head record on away goals (Napoli defeated Liverpool 4-1 back in early September in Naples). Despite the defeat, Napoli will take the seeded place in the last 16 draw of the UEFA Champions League when the draw takes place in Nyon on Monday.

Photo: Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)

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According to the proverb, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” but over in Naples, Luciano Spaletti has rebuilt an ageing Napoli team in just one summer as Gli Azzurri continue to take Europe by storm this season.

In an off-season which saw star players Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens and Kalidou Koulibaly all leave the club, few fans could’ve predicted this youthful, inexperienced Napoli side would sit top of Serie A after nine games, as well as topping a Champions League group containing Liverpool, Ajax and Rangers.

Last season Napoli achieved the bare minimum by qualifying for the Champions League, finishing nine points ahead of Juventus to take third place in Serie A, seven points off champions AC Milan, but underperformed in Europe, losing in the last 32 stage of the Europa League to Barcelona.

Of the three players that managed over ten goals last season, Insigne (13), Mertens (13) and Victor Osimhen (18) only Osimhen remains but in Georgian wonderkid Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Giacomo Raspadori and Giovanni Simeone, new heroes have emerged in Naples.

Kvaratskhelia was a relative unknown before his move, plying his trade for Dinamu Batumi in the Georgian top flight when Spaletti took a £9m gamble on the 21-year-old in the summer.

Blessed with extraordinary pace and skill, Kvaratskhelia already has seven goals and seven assists in 13-games this season and it’s easy to see why the tricky winger has been given the nickname “Kvarodona”, striking comparisons to Napoli’s Golden Child.

Raspodori, who was loaned in from Sassuolo in the summer, was brought in as a back-up to Osimhen but when given the chance following an injury to the Nigerian, he’s performed excellently too.

The Italian international scored twice and contributed an assist in a 4-2 demolition of Ajax in the Champions League and English fans may know him as the man who scored the winner for Italy against the Three Lions in the Nations League last month.

To complete the attacking rebuild is Simeone, who comes in as a risk-free loan singing from Hellas Verona to bolster the forward-line and with crucial goals in wins over AC Milan and Liverpool already this season, the £3m loan fee looks a bargain.

Despite the departures of Mertens and Insigne, the sale of central defender Koulibay to Chelsea for £34m was expected to leave the biggest hole on Spaletti’s side.

The club once again used their extensive scouting network to find a replacement for the Senegalese skipper, this time heading to Turkey, where they picked up Kim Min-Jae from Fenerbache for £16m.

The South-Korean international has slotted into Spaletti’s back four with ease, helping his side keep four clean sheets so far this season, even picking up the Serie A player of the month award for September in the process.

In a move which may surprise casual Premier League fans, Napoli also completed the permanent signing of Fulham midfielder Frank Andre Zambo Anguissa in a move worth £13m after spending last season on loan at the club, replacing the highly rated Fabian Ruiz who left for PSG.

From holding midfield, the Cameroonian scored and assisted in Napoli’s win over Liverpool and notched two assists in their 6-1 win over Ajax.

Despite major changes to personnel, Napoli have kept the 4-3-3 system utilized last season, focussing on playing exciting, free-flowing football.

By creating tactical situations which allow their fullbacks to carry the ball up the field, it creates overloads on the wings where the likes of Kvaratskhelia can thrive.

Their strongest starting XI is still up for debate, with the likes of Raspadori, Simeone and even Spurs flop Tanguy Ndombele all creating fierce competition for places.

A great example of showing the impact of Spaletti’s rebuild is comparing their starting XI last season in a game they lost 1-0 to eventual champions AC Milan to the team their side which beat Milan last month.

Napoli’s starting XI where they were defeated 2-1 by AC Milan in February 2022

Napoli XI from their 1-0 victory over Milan in September

Although last season’s team contains more household names, the clubs’ excellent scouting network has allowed Spaletti to find Europe’s hidden gems, who all fit into his system like clockwork, creating a young, exciting team while making a transfer profit.

Italian football’s big names are looking off the pace with Juventus struggling under Massimiliano Allegri, Jose Mourinho’s Roma being held back by injuries and both Milan clubs failing to live up to expectations set last season.

Although just nine games into the league season, the door has been left wide open for this Napoli side to win their first Scudetto since Diego Maradona lifted the trophy in 1990.

It was Maradona who led the team to glory in the nineties’, can it be “Kvaradona” in 2023 leading Gil Azzuri to Italian football’s biggest prize inside the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona?

The Champions League gets back underway this week following the international break with several sides in desperate need of victories to spark their European campaign into life.

Group A

Napoli will travel to Amsterdam looking to maintain their perfect start against an Ajax side smarting from their late defeat against Liverpool. The Italians have arguably been the standout side in the competition so far and can take a giant leap towards qualification with a victory in the Dutch capital.

Elsewhere it will be a first ever meeting of Liverpool and Rangers at Anfield with both sides needing wins for different reasons. Liverpool will look to Europe to gain some form after stuttering in the league while Rangers are yet to get off the mark in their return to the top table.

Group B

Club Brugge have arguably been the biggest surprise package in the tournament so far and will look to claim another scalp when they host Atletico Madrid.

The Belgians have made a perfect start and another victory would open a big gap between themselves and third place in the group.

Porto will be aiming to get off the mark after two defeats in their first two games when they host Bayer Leverkusen. The Germans are struggling domestically but did defeat Atletico last time out so they’ll have some belief travelling to Portugal.

Group C

Bayern Munich have once more made an impressive start to a Champions League group stage and will get the action underway on Tuesday when they host Viktoria Plzen in the early kickoff.

The German champions defeated their two biggest group rivals in September and will be expecting to dispatch of their Czech visitors to maintain their lead in the group.

Inter Milan meanwhile will host Barcelona in what is the biggest game of the week.

Both sides came up short when facing Bayern and both defeated Plzen so they’ll view these two upcoming games as the key to deciding who will follow Julien Nagelsmann’s side into the last 16.

Group D

Sporting are another side who have impressed, taking six points in what looked the most open group on paper.

They travel to Marseille on Tuesday who desperately need a win if they are to stand any hope of reaching the next round. The French side have started well in the league but have struggled badly in Europe in recent years and will be desperate to give the home support something to cheer.

Tottenham will visit Eintracht Frankfurt in the other Group D clash looking to bounce back from their weekend defeat to bitter rivals Arsenal and take steps towards qualification. It will be far from easy against the Europa League winners who will also have their sights on the latter stages.

Group E 

AC Milan head what has been a very tight and unpredictable Group E and will host Chelsea on Wednesday night with injuries to key players disrupting their preparation.

French pair Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez will miss the clash against Graham Potter’s men who needs points themselves having stuttered in their opening two games.

Salzburg are unbeaten thus far but have also yet to win but a victory over Dinamo Zagreb at home would put them in good stead heading into the turn in the group. The Croatians will be aiming for another surprise victory having stunned Chelsea last month.

Group F

Holders Real Madrid have made a serene start to their title defence and host Shakhtar on Wednesday looking to maintain their 100% record.

The visitors have also made a good start to the group and look favourites to join their hosts in the next round.

Celtic will travel to Leipzig looking to build on their credible draw against Shakhtar last time out and will need to get something to keep their qualification hopes alive as will the bottom side from East Germany.

Group G

Erling Haaland has been in utterly sensational form this season with 17 goals so far and the visit of FC Copenhagen will offer the Norwegian another chance to add to his tally.

The Danes picked up a draw against Sevilla three weeks ago but will be up against a Manchester City side brimming with confidence after sticking six goals past their local rivals Manchester United.

Sevilla have made a terrible start in La Liga and need to get something at home to Borussia Dortmund to avoid being cut adrift in terms of qualification. Victory for the Germans will see them move five points clear of their hosts with just three games to play.

Group H

Benfica have been another surprise outfit this season, winning nine of ten games in all competitions and two 100% records will go head to head in this group when they host PSG.

The Lisbon side claimed a stunning victory away at Juventus last time out and even a point here at home to the French champions will boost their chances of repeating what they did last year when they knocked Barcelona out in the group stages.

Juventus will be looking to avoid the same fate as the Spaniards and nothing less than three points against Maccabi Haifa in Turin will do, with manager Max Allegri under all sorts of pressure.

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Atlanta 68points – Remaining fixtures –Sassuolo (A) , Parma (A), Benevento (H), Genoa (A), Juventus (Coppa Italia Final), AC Milan (H) Form WDWWW

Gian Piero Gasperini’s men continue to delight and excite. The top scoring team in Serie A seized the initiative in the top four battle with a recent 1-0 victory over Juventus.  Sassuolo will provide a tough challenge but after this Atalanta face three teams in the bottom half of the table. Parma are likely to be relegated by then, while Genoa should be safe and have nothing to play for. Win three of these four games and Champions League qualification for a third consecutive year ought to be secured. This would be a fantastic achievement for La Dea cementing them as a powerhouse in Italian football. Second place in Serie A and a Coppa Italia win would be the most successful season in Atalanta’s history.  Prediction 2^nd

Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta could secure their best ever season. (Credit: Atalanta.it)

Napoli 66points  – Remaining fixtures – Cagliari (H), Spezia (A), Udinese (H), Fiorentina (A), Verona (H) Form WWDWL

Gennaro Gattusso is rumoured to be leaving at the end of the season but he has galvanised Napoli in recent weeks with a valuable point against table topping Inter followed up by a huge 5-2 win over top 6 rivals Lazio. Results elsewhere see Gli Azzurri now sit in the box seat for Champions League qualification. On paper they have the easiest run in. Cagliari and Spezia are fighting for their Serie A lives whilst Udinese, Fiorentina and Verona are stuck in mid-table mediocrity.  Expect Napoli to pick up at least ten points from the remaining fifteen to return to Europe’s elite competition after missing out last season.  Prediction 3^rd

Gatusso’s future may be in doubt but Napoli look a good bet for the top four. (Credit SSCNapoli.it)

Juventus 66points – Remaining fixtures – Udinese (A), AC Milan (H), Sassuolo (A), Inter (H), Atalanta (Coppa Italia Final), Bologna (A) Form DWLWW

Finishing outside the top four would be a disaster for Juve, whose gamble hiring Andrea Pirlo has not paid off. For all his titles, elegance and plaudits as a player, Pirlo is clearly still learning what it means to be a manager at the top level. This is worrying for I Bianconeri considering their current position and remaining fixtures.  A massive game against AC Milan awaits on May 9^th, which could essentially be a winner takes all clash for fourth place.  Juventus then have a tough trip to eighth place Sassuolo followed by Inter at home. Having likely been crowned champions by then, Antonio Conte’s side and their fans would love nothing more than to deliver a killer blow to their bitter rivals’ Champions League hopes.  The next six games will be the truest test of Pirlo’s fledgling managerial credentials. Winning the Coppa Italia is unlikely to save him, with the rumours of Massimiliano Allegri returning to the Juve bench refusing to go away.   Prediction 5^th

Juve’s top four hopes and Andrea Pirlo’s job are at risk. (Credit: Juventus.com)

AC Milan 66points – Remaining fixtures – Benevento (H), Juventus (A), Torino D (A), Cagliari (H), Atalanta (A) Form LLWWD

Milan topped the table in January, however maintaining the breakneck pace of their 27-game unbeaten following Serie A’s resumption in June was always going to be a tough ask for the young Rossoneri.  Long term injuries to experienced heads Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alessio Romagnoli haven’t helped, and Stefano Pioli’s side come into this crucial stretch in bad form. Milan will be looking to beat lowly Benevento comfortably next before a huge game against Juventus. Crucially, Ibrahimovic should be back by then. Win this and Pioli’s side will be in a strong position and will be hoping to secure a top four finish before a tough trip to Atalanta on the final day.  Prediction 4^th

Stefano Pioli’s young AC Milan side hope for positive end to the season. Credit: acmilan.com

Lazio 61points – Remaining fixtures – Genoa (H), Fiorentina (A), Parma (H), Roma (A), Torino (A), Sassuolo (A) Form WLWWW

Simone Inzaghi’s side have an outside change of gate-crashing the top four with last week’s convincing 3-0 win over AC Milan keeping their hopes alive. A five-point gap and an inferior goal difference to their rivals is a tough handicap to overcome, however all of Lazio’s remaining games are against sides below them in the table and they do have a game in hand. Le Acquile are in great form, winning four out of their past five games with deadly striker Ciro Immobile back in form. The teams above them will drop points, with Milan facing both Juventus and Atalanta in the remaining games. However, Lazio will likely need five wins out of six to secure a back-to-back top four finishes.  Prediction 6^th

Can Simone Inzaghi and Lazio force their way into the top four? (Credit SSLazio.it)

Don’t forget……. Roma

Roma are all but eliminated from qualifying for the Champions League via Serie A. But are Italy’s sole remaining representative in this season’s European Club competitions.  Should they overcome Man Utd in the Europa League semi-finals, they will face Arsenal or Villareal in Gdansk on May 26^th for a chance to qualify for the Champions League.

Lorenzo Insigne

Credit: Goal.com

The Italian wideman turns 29 today and has had a successful career in Italy but, how did Insigne get to a world class standard.

The winger signed his professional contract for Napoli in January 2010 as he moved up through their youth ranks and reached the senior team but, a month later he was loaned out to Cavese until the end of the season. He made ten appearances for the club having no goal involvements.

For the 10/11 season, he would be loaned out again to Foggia where he would have a really bright spell for the club. 33 appearances and scoring 19 goals in that season was an impressive feat for the winger.

The following season would see Insigne out on loan again this time to Serie B side Pescara until the end of the 11/12 season. He would have an impressive goal contribution record for the Italian side. Making 38 appearances that season scoring 20 goals and 14 assists saw the Italian beaming with potential.

Upon his return to Neaples he would be a regular starter for the Serie A team making 94 appearances in all competitions across two seasons managing to score 14 goals and bagging himself 20 assists.

The 14/15 campaign saw the winger suffer a cruciate ligament injury which would see his game time very limited but the Italian still managed to feature in 28 games.

The next two seasons were one of the best for the Italian with his return from injury as he started to display the qualities he’s now renowned for. 15/16 season was marked with 13 goals and ten assists in 42 games. The 16/17 season was his best in his career with the winger scoring 20 goals and getting 11 assists in 49 matches.

In the last three seasons, Insigne has managed to accumulate 120 appearances for Napoli whilst scoring and assisting quite frequently as he continued to perform at the top level.

Internationally, he has managed to appear 34 times for the Italian natioanl team as he has scored seven goals in the process.

He’s managed to get his hands on two trophies in his long career at Napoli with the Serie A team winning the Italian Cup in the 13/14 season and the Italian Supercup in the 14/15 season.

Lukas Podolski

Credit: Goal.com

The Polish born striker turns 35 today and has had an amazing career that has spanned over 17 years.

The striker decided to sign for FC Koln’s youth academy from FC 07 Bergheim in the summer of 1995 and made it to the senior team in November 2003 signing his professional contract for Koln.

His first season in the Bundesliga saw him score 10 goals and assist one goal in 20 games as Koln went down into the second tier of German football.

24 goals in 30 games in 2. Bundesliga saw Koln jump straight back into the Bundesliga after Podolski single handedly propelled them back into the top-flight.

The goal scoring record would dry up ever so slightly as he only managed 12 goals in the Bundesliga that season but the striker was on many teams radars.

One of the clubs was German giants Bayern Munich who signed the striker from Koln in the summer of 2006 for £9 million.

Podolski struggled to adapt in Munich as he featured 102 times for Bayern in his three year stint at the club but never managed to get score many goals for the club. He only managed to score 26 goals in those three years in all competitions.

Koln wanted their star striker to return back to them and he did in the summer of 2009 after three years away he was bought back for £9 million.

The first season back in Koln was poor by Podolski as he racked 31 appearances for the club but only managed to score three goals and provide six assists.

The hot form returned for the next two seasons. 14 and 18 goals in the 10/11 and 11/12 season respectively saw the striker beaming with goals again.

Arsenal bit the bullet and signed the striker in the summer of 2012 for £13.5 million to bring the German to the Emirates.

His first season as a Gunner was a good one as he featured a lot in the starting 11. 42 appearances for the London club saw Podolski score 16 goals and assist on 12 ocassions.

An injury ridden 13/14 campaign saw the German fall out of favour at Arsenal managing 40 appearances in the next one and a half seasons as he was loaned out to Inter Milan in January 2015 until the end of the season.

He managed 18 appearances for Inter and was only able to score one goal and provide four assists. His return to Arsenal saw the German shipped out to Galatasaray in the summer of 2015 for £2.25 million.

His debut season in Turkish football was impressive. The striker managed 17 goals in all competitions for the Turkish club. With his second season also seeing him score 17 goals.

Vissel Kobe signed Podolski in the summer of 2017 for £2 million. In his two and a half years in Japan he scored 17 goals and assisted 12 times in 60 appearances.

In the present now and the German signed for Antalyaspor in January 2020 on a free transfer and has appeared in seven matches scoring twice and assisting twice in all competitions.

130 appearances for the German national team and 49 goals for his nation sees him as one of the best players the German’s had in their ranks as they won the World Cup in 2014.

He’s won a fair few trophies in his time as a player. With Koln he won the second division title, with Bayern he won the treble (Bundesliga, German Supercup and German Cup), with Arsenal he won the Community Shield and the FA Cup, with Galatasaray he won the Turkish Supercup twice and with Vissel Kobe he won the Japanese Cup.

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Piotr Zielinski

Credit: Goal.com

The Polish midfielder turns 26 today and he’s had a great career so far for club and country. Let’s have a look how his career has panned out so far.

Zielinski made it through the ranks at Zaglebie Lublin but, never reached the first team. He only got as far as reaching the B team in 2010.

In July 2011, Udinese’s U19’s signed Zielinski for £100,000. The midfielder made 12 appearances for the U19’s that season scoring two goals.

Zielnski the made the step-up to first team football for Udinese for the 12/13 season. He continued to perform for the U19’s also making 12 appearances scoring seven goals but, he made nine first-team appearances getting two assists in the process.

The 13/14 season saw the midfielder play 12 times for Udinese’s first team contributing to no goals but, this was valuable first-team experience for the still young Zielinski.

On transfer deadline day of the summer window in 2014, the midfielder was loaned out on a two-year loan to the Tusan side, Empoli.

It was there that his numbers blossomed. The midfielder played 66 times for Empoli in the two season that he was at the club scoring five goals and getting seven assists. Zielinski gained even more Serie A experience from this loan spell and came back to Udinese sharper than ever.

In August 2016, Napoli took Zielinski off of Udinese’s hands and a £15 million offer was accepted by Udinese seeing Zielinski move to Naples.

His first season in southern Italy saw him feature 47 times for the club in a single season scoring six goals and assisting six times.

The 17/18 season saw him play more than 40 times once more, as he featured 47 times yet again similar to the previous season. The midfielder improved his goal touch, scoring seven that season but he assisted less with Zielinski only recording one assist that season.

He appeared 49 times in the 18/19 season, his highest single season total of his career. He scored seven goals and got two assists in the process. The 19/20 season sees him currently sit on 35 appearances, two goals and five assists.

On the international stage, Zielinski has made 51 appearances for the Polish National Team scoring six goals in that time. He went to represent Poland in Euro 2016 and in the 2018 World Cup/

Gerson

Credit: Goal.com

The Brazillian midfielder turns 23 and has a rollercoaster of a career moving from Brazil to Italy and then back to Brazil.

Gerson came through the ranks at Fluminense and got his breakthrough in December 2014 signing his professional contract for the club.

In 2015,  the midfielder made 29 appearances for the Brazillian club scoring on one occasion and assisting four times. The next year he made two appearances but had a few European teams trying to get their hands on the player.

In July 2016, Roma signed the midfielder for £18 million and looked certain to have got their hands on a gem. He played 42 times in the two seasons in the capital but looked out of the depths and was off-loaded to Fiorentina on loan.

40 appearances, three goals and four assists showed that Gerson’s style was not suited for the Serie A and upon return to Roma he was off-loaded back to Brazil, this time for Flamengo who paid £11 million for the midfielder.

In the two years he has been back in Brazil, the midfielder has made 41 appearances scoring four goals and assisting four times.

He’s yet to make his senior debut for Brazil and has made ten appearances for Brazil’s U20’s team.

Gerson is a Copa Libertadores champion, a Recopa Sudamericana winner and a Brazillian champion all with Flamengo in the last two years.

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Napoli finished second in their Champions League group, as they were piped to top-spot by European champions Liverpool by one point. They are undefeated in the Champions League this season winning three games and drawing three games. The Gli Azzuri have looked to have a bit of a revival during the last week.

They are currently unbeaten in three games and recently beat Brescia 2-1. Goals from Fabian Ruiz and Lorenzo Insigne secured the win for them.

Barca also remained unbeaten in the Champions League group stage. The Catalan club picked up four wins and two draws. They beat Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and Slavia Praha to top group F. Barca are currently top of La Liga ahead of Real Madrid by two points, most recently beating Eibar 5-0 in the league.

Team news

Napoli will be without their main centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly who is injured. Kevin Malcuit is also out with an injury and unlikely to feature in this game.

Barcelona will be without two attackers. Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele have both been ruled out of action for at least the next six months. Full-backs Sergi Roberto and Jordi Alba are also out with injuries.

Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso has called for his team to adopt a positive mindset in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie on Tuesday night:

“We know we’re going to be playing against an extraordinary team tomorrow and we’re well aware that it’s going to be very tough, but that said I don’t want to see any fear from the players,” he said. “We have maximum respect for Barcelona, but I want us to show no fear and play positively. The most important thing for me is that we continue to play as a team, as we have been recently.

“When you play as a team, you know you can give your all, regardless of the opposition. Barcelona are so good that sometimes it feels like they’re playing a different sport, but we need to make sure we dig in when we need to and play our game when we have the chance to.”

Barcelona manger Quique Setien still believes Liverpool and Roma defeats are haunting his players:

“The reality is that we’ve spoken very little about [Roma and Liverpool], although I’m sure they’ll have it in their minds,” Setien said.

“Maybe it’s not comparable. We’ve experienced incredibly tough games and I think the team is fine.

“The team is confident that we’ll continue in this dynamic, I trust that we’ll maintain the level that we’ve been giving for some time.”

Head-to-head

Tuesday night’s Champions League fixture will represent the first time that these two clubs have faced each other in a competitive match.

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Not many would’ve predicted Liverpool having to win away in Austria on the last matchday to secure passage. Not many would’ve seen a rejuvenated Tottenham bounce back from a shocking draw against Olympiakos and a 7-2 drubbing from Bayern to ease through under Jose Mourinho.

And none would have ever said that Atalanta, debutants in the Champions League, would qualify at all. Let alone after the first three group games all ending in defeat. A draw against Manchester City and wins against Shakhtar Donetsk and Dinamo Zagreb concluded in qualification above the latter two sides.

And so, after a cracking six weeks of football, the UEFA Champions League knockout stage draw occurred at 11 AM GMT today.

Or to put it more accurately, 11:30 AM. They just don’t shut up at those draws! Leaving us on tenterhooks, especially for those anxiously waiting during an A Level Sociology lesson whilst trying to conceal their phone from an on-looking teacher.

But after we finally found out who’d be facing who, we thought we’d overview every tie as we look forward to some bumper matches.

Borussia Dortmund v Paris Saint-Germain

PSG boast several of the most creative and dynamic footballers on the planet. But most didn’t see them coasting Group A as easily as they did. Finishing five points clear of Real Madrid, who dropped two points to Club Brugge at the Bernabeu and four to the group winners.

Dortmund came up trumps in the group of death involving Inter Milan and Barcelona, with poor old Slavia Prague propping up the group as whipping boys.

The Yellow Army scraped though on the final matchday after beating Prague 2-1 at Die Westfalenstadion.

In one of the more intriguing ties of the round, it will be good to see if Lucien Favre’s side can continue their recent Bundesliga form in order to defeat the Ligue 1 leaders.

I have to back Thomas Tuchel to return to his former employers and take a victory. Dortmund are not the side they were.

Real Madrid v Manchester City

The showpiece of the last 16, the two sides have won a combined 13 Champions League titles.

All jokes aside, the Manchester club cruised through the group stage winning 14 points out of a possible 18 and reaching the knockout round for the seventh consecutive season.

Real have looked back to imperious form domestically this season, sitting joint top of La Liga with their El Clasico opponents Barcelona.

A tasty tie of European pedigree against the new kids on the block when it comes to the elite, I back Real to just squeak Pep’s men based on pure European experience.

Atalanta v Valencia

As I briefly touched on, the progression of Atalanta to the knockout rounds is the fairy tale of this years’ Champions League.

Zero points after three games preceding a breath-taking victory in Donetsk to take a spot in today’s draw – Papu Gomez and his boys must be buzzing.

Valencia were probably another shock table topper after being dealt a very tough group alongside Lille, Ajax and Frank Lampard’s Chelsea.

Whoever makes it through to the quarter finals will be up against it when taking on the European heavyweights, but I’d urge the manager of either side to encourage enjoyment of reaching stages they might not have thought possible.

Beginners luck. I’m going for Atalanta.

Atletico Madrid v Liverpool

Being honest as a Liverpool fan, Diego Simeone’s men and their Madrid counterparts were the two sides I wished to avoid the most.

Despite boasting the second best defence in Europe this season and for sure the best over the course of the decade, Atletico is a team in decay and now in rebuild. The exits of Diego Godin, Juanfran, Filipe Luis etc. this summer have left a leadership void at Wanda Metropolitano which nobody can fill with immediacy.

That doesn’t stop either side’s threat. Liverpool, the reigning champions, offer more balance offensively and defensively than any other side on the planet. The versatility of Jurgen Klopp’s team has shown no signs of wavering as every week they find a new way to win.

In what could be a dire Chess match or an explosive firework of a tie – I have to be loyal to the Reds in this one.

Chelsea v Bayern Munich

Drool floods to the mouth and calculators are retrieved at the amount of goals this tie could provide.

A combined 35 goals in the group stage, with Bayern hitting 24 of them, the tie is one certainly for the neutrals.

Bayern romped their way through, winning six from six with Robert Lewandowski starring as per usual – but his record this season with 28 goals has even for him been anomalous.

Young players plus young managers equal excitement. Frank has done a cracking job so far considering his managerial experience. But I can’t see him getting anything from this one. Bayern to sweep the Blues aside, and a repeat of the 2012 final is not on the cards for me.

Lyon v Juventus

In what a week ago would’ve seemed a very even tie considering Lyon’s form, injuries have hampered Olympique’s hopes after a potentially season ending injury to talisman Memphis Depay.

But the French side will still be hopeful after facing off against Leipzig, Benfica and Zenit St. Petersburg.

And with Juventus not firing on all cylinders and for once not at the peak of Serie A, it could be their chance.

Under Maurizio Sarri, the Old Lady face a new challenge of former coach Antonio Conte and his new side Inter Milan.

In Europe though Juventus won five of six in a group that included Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen. I can’t see anything but the side in black and white progressing with ease, especially with Depay’s injury.

Tottenham Hotspur v RB Leipzig

Jose Mourinho has a European reputation which runners-up Spurs have not experienced in management since their UEFA Cup win in 1984.

And in Julian Nagelsmann and RB Leipzig they encounter the lowest ranked UEFA coefficient side, but on no planet does that reflect the quality of this young side.

Nagelsmann, who guided Hoffenheim to the Champions League places from the breadth of relegation before joining Leipzig, is one of the most exciting young coaches in world football and clearly has a massive impact on improving players.

And talking of improvement, Mourinho has certainly had such impacts on Spurs players, in particular Dele Alli, which has seen the Lilywhites jump to fifth in the Premier League and qualify even with defeat in Munich.

I’m going with Leipzig on this one. They sit top of the Bundesliga and with the potential addition of Erling Haaland in January, they will prove too strong an opposition for what is still a very good Spurs side. Its a 51/49 divide for me. Where have we seen that before?

Napoli v Barcelona

Having watched Napoli take four points and make Liverpool’s situation precarious at points in Group E, I know full well of the dangers even an out of form eleven can cause any side. Napoli will also have a new coach for the knockout rounds as Carlo Ancelotti has been replaced by former Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso.

The Stadio San Paolo is a horrible place for any visiting outfit, even one headed by the greatest player of his generation.

Lionel Messi and Barcelona again walked through the group stage, shrugging off the pushes of Dortmund and Inter and progressed as group winners.

They did only hit nine goals in the groups though, which will be a worry for unpopular boss Ernesto Valverde.

I’m calling an upset. If Gattuso implements his passion and aggression into this Napoli side they can be Barcelona’s Kryptonite. They have proven in the previous three years that desire and composure always means more than pure ability – just ask Kostas Manolas.

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Excuse my wordplay, but yet again the Reds are taking on the side in sky blue, Napoli, who they faced in last years’ group stages and this years’ opening matchweek.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men haven’t had an ideal start to the season – far from it actually, especially for the manager in question. With a supposed ‘player mutiny’ causing Chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis to fine the squad 25% of their monthly salary yesterday.

The farce began when players refused to attend a morale-boosting retreat in the aftermath of the 1-1 home draw with Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League.

They allegedly feared for their families safeties, but with the De Laurentiis imposing a club-wide media ban, their side of the story is yet to be released.

Liverpool, obviously in considerably less turmoil – well, no turmoil, utopia, are going for a fourth consecutive win to guarantee qualification as group winners.

Last time out for the Reds, they scraped a 2-1 win at home to KRC Genk, with Gini Wijnaldum and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain seeing them through after Mbwana Samatta’s equaliser.

Team news

The visitors have full-back Kevin Malcuit out long-term (in turn, he is the only player to avoid the super-fine), and potentially Faouzi Ghoulam, Arkadiusz Milik and talisman skipper Lorenzo Insigne.

Liverpool should see the return of Mohamed Salah after Jurgen Klopp “wasn’t worried” about the 27 year-old’s availability. Kopites are likely to see Fabinho as the Brazilian is unavailable for the coming fixture with Brighton and Hove Albion.

Joel Matip and Nathaniel Clyne remain unavailable, and Xherdan Shaqiri is on the verge of a return in the coming weeks.

From the Dugout:

Reds manager Jurgen Klopp:

“I expect Napoli to be really strong for different reasons. Reason number one is that they are a sensationally good football team.

“Yes, they didn’t have the results in the last couple of weeks maybe like people expect. I have no idea about the reasons or whatever. We could read a little bit about things that happened there but now they are not in Italy, now they are in Liverpool, now it’s a different competition, now they feel maybe – I’m not sure – kind of relief that they can play completely free in a game like this.

“We have to exactly expect that and that’s what we do. So, whoever will play for Napoli will be an outstandingly strong player. If there’s any manager in the world who doesn’t need any advice from anybody – for sure, not from me – then it’s Carlo Ancelotti.

“Hopefully I will have a chat with him before the game, hopefully I will have a chat with him after the game. But none of them will be about what he could do differently.”

We are yet to hear anything from Carlo Ancelotti due to Napoli’s media ban.

Head-to-head

Liverpool wins – 3

Draws – 1

Napoli wins – 3

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