---
title: "Flashback: Liverpool beat Napoli to progress to Champions League knockout stages"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/flashback-liverpool-beat-napoli-to-progress-to-champions-league-knockout-stages/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Dylan Walsh"
section: "Features"
published: "2019-06-04T18:50:44Z"
modified: "2019-06-19T10:37:06Z"
---

# Flashback: Liverpool beat Napoli to progress to Champions League knockout stages

**In our latest instalment of *Flashback*, we take a look at the game that sent Liverpool into the Champions League round of 16 and how fans reacted on the day.**

It’s weird how one game and one moment can send a butterfly effect that changes the course of an entire season, and for Liverpool, it’s the match against Napoli.

Heading into the must-win match at Anfield, Liverpool were under immense pressure to progress to the Champions League round of 16 after losing all three of their away games, meaning that Jurgen Klopp’s side had to not only beat a Napoli side that had [held PSG](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45907621) in their own back yard but win by not conceding a goal.

It was a tough ask for Liverpool, who only just managed to [ease past PSG](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45551722) in their opening game of the Champions League group stage, and given Napoli’s drive to want to make it to the round of 16 and their recent performances, there was a sense of tension in the air on Merseyside.

But come the end of the 90 minutes, it was Liverpool who were celebrating as a Mohamed Salah goal was all it took for the Reds to overcome their Italian opposition, and make it to the [knockout stages of the Champions League](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46511873).

Here is how Liverpool fans reacted to the news…

> I love this football club!!!
>
> — Billal Skanda (@BillalSkanda) [December 11, 2018](https://twitter.com/BillalSkanda/status/1072610976854355968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> What a win we through to the last 16 of the Champions League, Salah does it again for us, Van Dijk was incredible, Robertson was quality, fair play to Henderson he had a good game tonight, what a save from Alisson at the end, Allez Allez Allez
>
> — Rob Evans (@Rob\_Evans10) [December 11, 2018](https://twitter.com/Rob_Evans10/status/1072617209124544513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaasssssss!!!!! WONDER MO!!
>
> — Alanoud Alserhan (@Inkbloodedwoman) [December 11, 2018](https://twitter.com/Inkbloodedwoman/status/1072611077177913344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> Salah is back!!!
>
> — Mubarak (@JVO\_Brian) [December 11, 2018](https://twitter.com/JVO_Brian/status/1072611321626148865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> This is Anfield [#Lfc](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lfc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [@lfc](https://twitter.com/LFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)\
> Thanks Mo Salah goal\
> Alison Good saves\
> God bless
>
> — Oswald (@oswaldazumah) [December 11, 2018](https://twitter.com/oswaldazumah/status/1072613025776046081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> Everything was against us but well we progressed
>
> — D.ani.xx\_the\_kid\_next\_door (@Danixxthekidne1) [December 11, 2018](https://twitter.com/Danixxthekidne1/status/1072611714032697344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!! COME ON REDS [#YNWA](https://twitter.com/hashtag/YNWA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
>
> — ADRIAN (@adrian\_250401) [December 11, 2018](https://twitter.com/adrian_250401/status/1072611353951723522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> Never do it the easy way!
>
> — Katherine Swinn (@katherine\_swinn) [December 11, 2018](https://twitter.com/katherine_swinn/status/1072610951747252224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

It didn’t get any easier for Liverpool as the Reds were drawn against Bayern Munich in the next round, but despite the odds the Premier League side overcame the Bavarian giants in a [3-1 aggregate win](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47543631) make it to the final eight.

Just like the season before, Liverpool faced off against Porto, and just like last season, Klopp’s side demolished the Portuguese side with ease, claiming a [6-1 win](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47953686) on aggregate and pitting the Reds in a semi-final clash with Barcelona.

Despite a [3-0 loss](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48112154) at the Nou Camp, a sensational [4-0 win](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48179167) at Anfield saw Liverpool progress to their second consecutive Champions League final, this time against Premier League rivals Tottenham who somehow managed to make it to Madrid after two sensational wins against [Manchester City](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47953693) and [Ajax](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48192369).

A truly terrible game obviously saw the Reds lift their sixth ever European crown and who’d have thought that during the group stage? What a moment the Brazilian provided his side way back in December, months before THAT night in Madrid that made them immortal.

***Liverpool fans, can the Reds win the Champions League? Let us know!***