Smarting from the 4-0 defeat away to Ajax, Rangers will be looking to bounce back right away when they host Italian side Napoli at the Ibrox Stadium on Tuesday at 20:00 GMT.
Napoli will be looking to press home the advantage in Group A by going for their second consecutive win in the group.
Match Preview
Can Rangers Pull off a Shocker by Beating Napoli?
Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his side will be facing the second European heavyweight in their second Champions League fixture in Group A. The focus will be to win their first match in the group and take their first points.
After they were convincingly beaten 4-0 by Ajax, Bronckhorst will focus on tweaking their defensive structure and tactical approach when they Napoli to improve their chances.
Rangers will also look to use the energy and fervour of the Ibrox Stadium under the lights to create a favourable atmosphere for the home side. They will need to be at their best to take something from the clash with Napoli on Tuesday.
Can Napoli make it two Consecutive Wins in the Champions League?
Luciano Spalletti was pleased with his side’s performance in their 4-1 win over last year’s finalists Liverpool in Italy. The manager will be looking to leverage this form and momentum when they face Rangers on Tuesday.
Spalletti will be aware that Rangers’ clash away to Aberdeen was postponed due to the death of Queen Elizabeth while his Napoli side had to play at home to Spezia in a 1-0 triumph.
This means that Rangers will be well rested and ready for them at the Ibrox Stadium. The focus will be to pick a side that is fresh enough to deal with the high intensity and hard running they are likely to face from Rangers on Tuesday.
Form Guide
Rangers
Bronckhorst’s side opened the season in flying form, with four wins and a draw. They collected 13 points from their opening five league outings.
However, Rangers were convincingly beaten 4-0 in the derby against Celtic. This result meant that Celtic opened a five-point gap at the top of the table.
The 4-0 loss to Celtic was followed by a midweek 4-0 defeat against Ajax in Holland. Bronckhorst will be looking to arrest this bad run of results in the clash against Napoli. This is especially important because Rangers have not played since their loss at Ajax.
Bronckhorst will be hoping that the Ibrox Stadium atmosphere will help his players to perform at a high level to improve their chances of taking something from the match.
Napoli
Napoli are at the top of the Serie A table after making an unbeaten start to their season. They have won four times and drawn twice, collecting 14 points out of the available 18.
Spalletti’s men have a better goal difference than Atalanta and Milan, who both have 14 points in their opening six Serie A outings.
Napoli have also made a winning start to their Group A Champions League campaign by beating Liverpool at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Spalletti will be looking to leverage this good vein of form to get optimal performance at the Ibrox Stadium and get the maximum three points they need to bolster their chances of topping the group.
Possible Starting Lineups
Rangers
McLaughlin; B. Barisic, J. Sands, C. Goldson, J. Tavernier; J. Lundstram, S. Davis; R. Kent, G. Kamara, M. Tillman; A. Colak
Napoli
Meret; G. Di Lorenzo, A. Rrahmani, M. Kim, M. Olivera; A, Anguissa, S. Lobotka; M. Politano, P. Zielinski, K. Kvaratskhelia; V. Osimhen
Players to Watch
A. Colak
The 28-year-old Croatian international has been important for Rangers in the opening stages of the domestic league.
Colak has grabbed three goals in five appearances for Rangers in their qualifying rounds of the Champions League. The striker has also notched four goals in six appearances for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.
Colak is a crucial cog for Rangers’ attacking play; he leads from the front with his energy and intensity. His runs in behind are important in creating chances and taking them for Rangers.
Colak will be crucial for Rangers in their clash with Napoli on Tuesday.
P. Zielinski
Zielinski was instrumental in Napoli’s 4-1 win over Liverpool on matchday 1. The 28=year-old Polish international has also notched a goal in the six appearances he has made for Napoli in Serie A.
Zielinski is good at playing in between lines as a creative force for Napoli’s attack. He works hard for the team when out of possession while also being the main creative outlet when the team is in possession.
His passing is important in opening defences up while his energy is crucial in pressing high up the pitch and maintaining the team’s aggressive and high-tempo approach.
Zielinski will be crucial for Napoli on Tuesday against Rangers because of the fast-paced and high-energy approach adopted by Rangers.
Prediction
Rangers will be fired up for this clash on Tuesday. Supported by a raucous Ibrox Stadium, Rangers will implement a fast-paced, high-pressing, and hard-running style of football. They will defend deep while using quick counter-attacks to pose a threat to the Napoli defence.
Napoli will implement a possession-based style of football. They will pass from the back and seek to dominate Rangers. They will use fast passing and their wide players to stretch the Rangers’ defence and create chances.
Napoli are favoured to win the match and make it two wins out of two in the Champions League.
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