Napoli 2-0 Liverpool: 5 Hits and Flops

#2 Hit: Dries Mertens

Mertens celebrates with the home supporters after their smash-and-grab 2-0 victory

Dries Mertens hammered home an all-important spot-kick, which was the least his industrious work deserved over a testing 90 minutes here. Who knows what might have happened, had he missed or seen his penalty saved by Adrian there?

This was an uncomfortable game where the Belgium international needed patience and not to shirk responsibilities, playing away from his favored center-forward role while maintaining discipline for sustained periods off-the-ball.

His attacking movement was good, though he didn't receive the ball as regularly as he would have liked in dangerous areas. That was until the game was stretched late on and the 32-year-old was given the license to gallop forward in transition, carrying the ball forward while scanning for available teammates.

Crucially though, the experienced forward refused to hide or go into his shell like Insigne did and it would have been easy to. Two key passes, seven duels won, won possession on five occasions with one tackle and their important opener late on.