Liverpool and Napoli Favored to Advance From UEFA Champions League Group E

• Books list Liverpool as the -175 chalk to win Group E of the UEFA Champions League
• The defending champions are +650 to repeat their title-winning performance
• Liverpool has played in the last two UCL finals

Liverpool’s road to defense of its UEFA Champions League title will begin while facing a familiar foe. For the second year in a row, Liverpool and Napoli are together in the group phase of the competition.

They’ll be joined by FC Salzburg and KRC Genk in Group E. Sportsbooks have established Liverpool as the -175 favorites to win the group.

UEFA Champions League Group E Odds

*Odds taken on 08/30/19.

Books also list Liverpool as the third betting choice to repeat their overall triumph in the UEFA Champions League odds.

Liverpool

Situated in Group C last season with Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli and Red Star Belgrade, Liverpool came within a hair of not advancing to the knockout stage.

Liverpool went 3-3-0 in group play. They lost all three away matches and were outscored 5-1. That included a 1-0 loss at Napoli.

At Anfield, Liverpool recorded a 1-0 victory over Napoli. Their season was literally saved when Alisson made a stoppage time save on a shot from Arkadiusz Milik.

Things shouldn’t be nearly as tense this time around. Other than Napoli, Liverpool shouldn’t expect serious challenges from either FC Salzburg or RKC Gent.

Napoli

In their last four UCL appearances, Napoli have advanced beyond the group stage just once. They were knocked out in the Round of 16 in 2016-17, losing 6-2 on aggregate to eventual champions Real Madrid.

That bodes well for Liverpool. The last two teams to put Napoli out of the competition won the championship.

De Laurentis (Napoli president) about the Champions League draw: This is really ridiculous and we will send the UEFA to inquire about this .. How can you put Liverpool to the team that reached the Champions League final in the third level? This is chaos and stupidity .. pic.twitter.com/I3QmNteYuf

— ??????#Liverpool (@Nassifayah1) August 29, 2019

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentis was outraged that they were drawn in again with the reigning champs, calling it, “chaos and stupidity” that the title holders be seeded in the third tier of pool play.

It also won’t help that when Liverpool is away to Napoli in the opening match in group play on Sept. 17, that the game is expected to be played at a neutral site 570 km away in Bologna.

Liverpool 🆚 Napoli AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/ECLPmoRNnM

— GOAL (@goal) August 29, 2019

UEFA ruled that San Paolo, Napoli’s stadium, doesn’t meet the required conditions for UCL play.

Regardless, Napoli’s stiff defense will serve them well and get the Italian side through to the knockout phase.

FC Salzburg

The moment they take the pitch for the opening match of group-stage play home to KRC Genk on Sept. 17, FC Salzburg will make history.

FC Salzburg’s Jesse Marsch is the first American to manage in the UCL group stages. He’s a 14-season MLS veteran.

Jesse #Marsch has completed the best ever start for a coach in our league. Never before has an Austrian Bundesliga coach won his first five Austrian Bundesliga matches. pic.twitter.com/UM99SWFM9l

— FC Red Bull Salzburg EN (@FCRBS_en) August 26, 2019

That’s about as far as their history making will go. FC Salzburg is in the UCL for the 15th time. It’s only the second time they’ve made it to the group stage.

KRC Genk

The Belgians also hold claim to a piece of UCL history.

Our belgian clubs weren't lucky during this #UCLdraw

Club Brugge will play against :
PSG ??
Real Madrid ??
Galatasaray ??

While KRC Genk will play against :
Liverpool ?
Napoli ??
Salzburg ?? https://t.co/8QBe1KTwkA

— BelgianFootballNews?? (@BelgianFootNews) August 29, 2019

KRC Genk have never won a UCL group match. They’ve scored one away goal in group stage competition.

UCL Group E Prediction

1. Liverpool
2. Napoli
3. FC Salzburg
4. KRC Genk