Today’s back pages: Liverpool on red alert as Champions League holders waste chance to qualify for last 16

Uefa Champions League group E Liverpool 1 Napoli 1

Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw by Napoli at Anfield last night and the result means the Champions League holders are still needing a point to qualify for the knockout stages.

With one match remaining Jurgen Klopp’s side sit top of group E with ten points - one point more than Napoli and three more than Red Bull Salzburg.

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Liverpool will now go to Salzburg on 10 December and The Guardian says Klopp’s men will be on “red alert” as they need to avoid defeat to reach the last 16.

The Daily Express reports that the Reds were “pushed to the limit” by the Italians and face a “nervous finale” to the group stage. It will go “down to the wire”, says Metro.

“Lov is not enough” for Liverpool, the Daily Mirror adds, as Dejan Lovren’s 65th-minute header cancelled out a 21st-minute opener by Napoli’s Dries Mertens.

Speaking after the match Klopp said of the task in Salzburg: “I don’t want to say we need [the intensity of] it, but we had it always. Come on, I am four years in, tell me when it was easy.

“Last year we had to win at home 1-0 against Napoli, I cannot remember a bigger pressure game than that. It was really difficult and we did it, so now we have to go to Salzburg.

“I know how human beings are; people wished we could finish the group tonight and make kind of a holiday game in Salzburg. Never happened, will never happen. So, that’s the situation.

“If we have ambitions in the Champions League, we have to show that in Salzburg - and until then, we have to show our ambitions in the Premier League.

“There are a couple of games to play until then and we have to be focused on them and we will be, no doubt.”

Chelsea also made to wait

Group H qualification will also go down to the wire with Ajax (ten points), Valencia (eight points) and Chelsea (eight points) all still in the mix. Last night Chelsea drew 2-2 in Valencia while Ajax were 2-0 winners away at Lille.

Frank Lampard’s Chelsea host Lille at Stamford Bridge in their final group match on 10 December and Valencia travel to Ajax.

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Today’s newspaper back pages

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