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It was put to Virgil van Dijk that going out of the Champions League could be viewed as a blessing in disguise for Liverpool's Premier League title dream.

The big Dutch defender was incredulous.

“I don't think they are Liverpool fans (if they are saying that),” he said firmly.

Having helped the Reds reach the final of the competition last term, Van Dijk is determined to ensure that the club's stay among Europe's elite continues into the new year.

Jurgen Klopp's side must beat Napoli either 1-0 or by two clear goals at Anfield on Tuesday night to advance to the last 16.

The £75million centre-back is adamant that Liverpool boast sufficient strength in depth to maintain a genuine challenge for glory both domestically and on the continent.

“We want to compete on the highest level,” he continued.

“We are top of the league now but it could change next week. The main thing for us is to do everything we can to go through.

“It is going to be a tough game but I am very confident, like always in my team. At Liverpool there is always a lot of pressure, but it is good pressure. You want to play in these circumstances.

“I definitely look at the squad and think it can compete on two fronts. We still need to show it but I think we are definitely capable of competing in both competitions. Hopefully that will be the case.”

Van Dijk admits that Liverpool have caused problems for themselves during the group stage. They were beaten by Lorenzo Insigne's late winner in Naples and failed to pick up a single point on their travels.

“Oh, we were poor that night – all of us,” he said.

“We deserved to get beat over there but, yes, I think this is going to be a totally different game.

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“We want to show that we belong in the Champions League. We want to show that we are much better than what they saw over there.

“Of course we wanted to get the job done before this, but now we're here...

“There is a lot of pressure to hopefully keep a clean sheet and score as many goals as possible.

“It is a fantastic game to play in and a fantastic game to look forward to. Hopefully it is going to be a special night for all of us.

“It is going to be very tough but it’s going to be very tough for them as well. I can’t wait to get out there and hear the fans going crazy.”

One goal will be sufficient if Alisson Becker isn't beaten but Van Dijk believes Liverpool have to try to unsettle Carlo Ancelotti's in-form side by attacking them from the off.

“We need to start fast, set the tone, put them under pressure and play the game,” he said. “Be brave, be confident, don’t hide. Show yourself and try and do that altogether.

“What if they score one goal? Then it's going to be totally different. The most important thing is we focus on our game.

“Obviously we have been doing brilliantly (in the Premier League) so far this season but in the Champions League everything has not been as good as everyone hoped.

“We should still be confident about the situation. We are top of the league and we still have a chance to go through in the Champions League.

“It's a tough group with PSG who were probably favourites to win the Champions League. Napoli are one of the most dangerous teams in Europe.

“We have not been at our best in this competition so we deserve to be in this position. If we don’t win, we don’t deserve to be in the Champions League.

“Hopefully that is not going to happen. Hopefully we are going to progress and show that we definitely belong there.

“It’s in our hands. They will play their game. I don’t think they will change anything. It's going to be interesting.”

The nightmare scenario is that Liverpool miss out and drop into the Europa League. Has Van Dijk considered that prospect?

"That is something I am not even going to think about so I won't answer it. Hopefully that isn’t going to happen," he said.