UEFA Champions League 2018-19: Group C (Napoli, PSG, & Liverpool) permutations and chances of qualifying
The UEFA Champions League games are back, and the big games are once again underway! In tonight's clash, the mighty Liverpool take on Napoli at Anfield, which ensures to be a game filled with drama and passion.
Group C is named the 'Group of Death' by football fans worldwide, with Group B coming close for the renowned title as well. Out of all the teams from Group A to H, only the group C teams are yet to reach double-figure points, which tells us why it is considered the group of death.
Not one team has qualified for the round of 16 from this group, leaving it pretty difficult to predict which teams would qualify and which won't.
All the four teams have given their best to qualify for the R16, with even Red Star Belgrade registering a win against one of the top dogs in worldwide football, Liverpool. Out of the 5 games played, Red Star has won only 1, which was against Liverpool, making it Klopp's first defeat of this season across all competitions.
PSG on the other hand, have performed quite convincingly on all occasions. They have registered 2 draws, 2 wins, and a loss in 5 games, bagging nearly 8 points, and they sit 2nd on the table.
Napoli has been the most consistent out of all the 4 clubs, winning 2, tying 3, and losing none. Carlo Ancelotti has done a brilliant job by keeping Napoli's UCL dreams alive, in spite of getting the toughest group out of all. They are the Group C leaders, as they sit 1 point ahead of PSG, and 3 above Liverpool.
Predictions
Coming on to the predictions part, the team which is most likely to qualify is PSG. They have successfully managed to bag 5 points out of the 12 points available against Liverpool and Napoli.
Napoli and Liverpool have bagged 5 points and 3 respectively, out of 9.
The fate of Liverpool's Champions League campaign rests on the result of tonight's must win Group C clash against Napoli at Anfield, with last season's runners-up facing the prospect of elimination.
This game will decide the winner of the group, and also who will finish as runner-up. Red Star has defeated Liverpool at home and they have held Napoli on to a draw on matchday 1, so it would not be an easy task for PSG to gain all the 3 points from the game, making both the Group C matches tough as hell.
If Napoli wins the game at Anfield, and Red Star Belgrade defeats PSG, Liverpool won't even stand a chance to play Europa League, which will be a huge loss for the English side. However, if they win at Anfield with other conditions being constant, PSG will be knocked out, eventually competing for Europa League against Red Star on goal difference.
Liverpool is a different team altogether when it comes to playing at Anfield, with the 12th man always coming in handy for The Reds. However, Napoli has shown consistency and belief in what they do, and it won't be an easy game for Liverpool.