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With the Champions League returning this week, the focus has turned to which clubs are the favourites for this year’s competition.

As the current holders of the trophy, Liverpool find themselves in that conversation, with plenty predicting further success for Jürgen Klopp and his men this year.

The Reds will first have to negotiate their way past the group stages, with them facing a tricky test in Group E alongside Genk, Napoli and Red Bull Salzburg.

Liverpool are favourites to come out in first place, although they will likely have to best Napoli, who they also faced in the group stages last season, to do so.

The two teams meet in the first game this week, as Liverpool travel to the San Paolo, where they were beaten 1-0 last year.

They’ll be targeting a winning start to their title defence, and DAZN journalist Stefano Borghi has warned Napoli that they are coming up against the best in Europe once again.

“Liverpool are currently the strongest team in Europe,” he told Calcio Napoli 24.

“They went behind against Newcastle United but then recovered and won. They haven’t changed anything and can be considered as the best team in the world. With Liverpool, it will be very difficult, but this Napoli has improved.”