Napoli vs Rangers: Champions League result and report as Gers thumped again

Rangers’ sobering Champions League marketing campaign continued on its downward trajectory with a 3-0 defeat to Napoli within the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

A 7-1 loss to Liverpool at Ibrox of their final Group A outing had shocked the Light Blues and their followers and it seemed ominous when striker Giovanni Simeone scored twice within the first 16 minutes for the dominant dwelling aspect.

The second half was extra encouraging for the guests however defender Leo Ostigard headed in a 3rd from a nook within the eightieth minute to seal the win and go away the completed Serie A leaders with 5 part wins out of 5.

By distinction, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s aspect have misplaced all 5 video games, conceding 19 objectives and scoring one, and he’ll discover himself below extra strain.

Last season’s Europa League finalists are out of Europe altogether barring an unlikely thrashing of Ajax within the last sport at Ibrox subsequent week.

An actual sense of trepidation surrounded Rangers for the journey to Naples to play an in-form crew who gained 3-0 at Ibrox, albeit the house aspect had put up a very good combat till James Sands had been despatched off.

It was one other reshuffled Rangers line-up with Van Bronckhorst giving a primary Champions League begin to left-back Ridvan Yilmaz, whereas Sands, Alfredo Morelos and Scott Wright got here again in.

Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti made six modifications as he rested some key gamers together with Hirving Lozano, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen.

However, the Italian outfit – unbeaten in all 15 earlier video games this season with 11 straight wins – had been nonetheless full of high quality, together with captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo and defender Minjae Kim with Ostigard making his debut in defence.

Van Bronckhorst had requested for a show of character however that was in query as they quickly fell 2-0 behind.

There had been simply 11 minutes gone when Di Lorenzo despatched striker Simeone down the fitting flank and regardless of the eye of defender Leon King he fired the ball low throughout keeper Allan McGregor and in on the far publish.

Four minutes later, Simeone headed in a cross from Mario Rui with defenders King and Ben Davies helpless both aspect.

Rangers seemed like they might crumble additional.

There was a let-off for the ragged guests within the twenty second minute when Tanguy Ndombele cracked the crossbar with a drive from distance and then, within the thirty eighth minute, McGregor saved a close-range header from Giacomo Raspadori as Napoli stepped up the strain again.

It was all too comfy for Napoli though Rangers midfielder Malik Tillman had a shot blocked in a uncommon foray into the opposition field earlier than Morelos’ deflected strike on a counter-attack was saved by dwelling keeper Alex Meret with the nook defended.

Fashion Sakala changed Wright for the second half and Rangers reverted to a again 5 however quickly Simeone had one other likelihood, this time lobbing McGregor from the sting of the field however watching it bounce over the bar.

The Rangers defence was being simply opened up.

McGregor blocked an angled drive from Simeone along with his foot earlier than Rangers loved a spell of constructive possession across the hour mark and a Morelos volley was blocked for a fruitless nook by Rui earlier than the Colombia striker missed the ball altogether simply 5 yards out from a Yilmaz cross.

In between these two probabilities a free move from Rangers skipper James Tavernier gave Raspadori an opportunity however he bent his shot huge of the far publish.

In the 79th minute McGregor saved an effort from Rui and from the resultant Raspadori nook, Ostigard rose to energy in a header so as to add gloss to a convincing dwelling win.