Rangers Fall to Defeat at Ibrox: Rangers 0-3 Napoli
Rangers were on a mission for redemption but were once again left demoralised after the defeat.
The club observed a minute’s silence and unveiled a display in tribute to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II (Image: Getty)
It was clear from the first minute that Rangers were going to show a lot more passion and effort than they did in the match against Ajax last week.
Napoli were shaken by the Ibrox crowd in the opening stages as Rangers looked to assert their control on the game and get an early lead, with Morelos’s header missing the target. Although, the visitors got settled into the game and started having the majority of the possession.
Both teams showed their quality and had chances in the first-half, but neither could take the lead and went down the tunnel at a deadlock.
The second-half was more of the same with the Ibrox side relentlessly trying to get the opening goal. Arfield hit a great shot from inside the box, however, the ball flew wide.
The game changed in the 55th minute, as a penalty was awarded for the Italians. Sands was given a second yellow after the ball went under his legs and he caught a Napoli player inside the box. McGregor made a great save from between the sticks, although, the rebound was slotted home by Politano. However, after a decision by VAR, the penalty was controversially retaken and once again McGregor was the hero, showing why he should be the starting goalkeeper for Rangers.
The hosts continued to play well, but found it difficult to withhold the pressure from the visitors and in the 68th minute, the Blues were awarded another penalty after Barisic blocked a shot with his arm. Third time was the charm for the Italians as despite McGregor getting a hand to the ball, Politano slotted it into the bottom left corner of the net.
Raspadori doubled the advantage in the 85th minute after great build-up play. Ndombele then added a third in the 91st minute after Kamara was caught taking too long on the ball.
Rangers took the extra motivation from the Ibrox crowd and will be disappointed with the result after they produced a good performance against a very strong Napoli side. They looked a lot more confident, especially with the addition of McGregor in goal leaving the defence feeling more comfortable. In the end, the visitors were too much for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side as they punished the Gers’, especially after the red card.
The Glasgow side are yet to get a point from their group and with the double-header against Liverpool in their sights, the future does not look too bright.