"Tomorrow's game will require courage and character in order to stand up to an opponent as good as Liverpool." Giovanni Di Lorenzo was in attendance at Napoli's pre-match press conference ahead of their Champions League opener against Liverpool at the Maradona.

"It's great to be back in the Champions League after a two-year absence. Napoli deserve to be here. We'll go out on the pitch full of desire and determination, driven on by our fans, and it's sure to be a great game.

"We're so fired up to take on Liverpool. They're a huge team who have won a lot. We need to respect them but not fear them because we can't let ourselves be overwhelmed, especially psychologically-speaking.

"We're a young squad but in games like this you've got to take risks. We've got to bring all of our quality to the forefront and take the game to them. I'll say it again, we'll need to play a balanced game while also showing personality and courage. That's what you need if you’re to beat such teams.

"We've faced and beaten Liverpool in the past, but every game against them is a challenge, and a compelling one at that. We're so fired up to take on a big trophy-laden team. I'm convinced that the fans in the Maradona will give us a big boost and keep us going until the final whistle.

"We're in a tough group full of historic clubs. Our aim is to get to the knockout stages because we know what we're capable of. We'll need to take things game by game, experience every game to the max and show that we deserve to be up there with Europe's best."

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