Jurgen Klopp hoping to break duck as Liverpool travel to Napoli

Jurgen Klopp hopes it will be fourth time lucky as the Liverpool manager looks to finally win at Napoli when last season's Champions League finalists kick-off their quest for continental glory on Wednesday.

It is just over three months since the Reds suffered a gutting 1-0 defeat in the final to Real Madrid on a night marred by chaotic scenes outside the Stade de France.

Liverpool have been drawn alongside Ajax, Rangers and Napoli this time around and get Group A under way at the cavernous Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday evening against the latter.

But Klopp has not enjoyed the best of times on his previous visits to Naples, having lost 2-1 with Borussia Dortmund in 2013 before losing 1-0 with the Reds in 2018 and 2-0 the following year.

"I have never won here," the German said of his three previous Champions League group stage visits. "Not with Liverpool. Not with Dortmund.

"But we have frequently qualified for another final after Napoli was with us in the group stage. I am not sure all the time… but who cares.

"I am, how we say in Germany, a late bloomer. I need always a little bit longer to achieve my stuff.

"That means sometimes I have to try two times, sometimes three times, sometimes four times and Napoli obviously four times.

"What do we have to do? Play better than in the previous three games? That would be very helpful because we didn’t play particularly well when we came here. Another reason Napoli is pretty strong."

Klopp heads to Italy with a number of key players missing from his 21-strong travelling party.

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is among those sidelined but Thiago Alcantara is able to make his first appearance since suffering a hamstring strain a month ago.

"Thiago back in training," Klopp said.