Napoli 3-0 Rangers: Fifth Champions League loss for Ibrox side but hopes remain alive

Giovanni Simeone's 2 first-half goals had Napoli successful bid aboriginal on

Rangers suffered a 5th consecutive Champions League decision astatine the hands of an accomplished Napoli, but escaped without immoderate important harm to their brittle confidence.

However, Rangers tin instrumentality solace from the information determination is immoderate slim arithmetic anticipation of prolonging their run into the caller twelvemonth aft Liverpool bushed Ajax.

That said, the Ibrox broadside would person to amended the 4-0 borderline meted retired by the Dutch astatine the precise commencement of this radical signifier erstwhile they conscionable successful Glasgow adjacent Tuesday to scope their accustomed comfortableness portion of the Europa League.

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Ajax, surely, won't beryllium arsenic bully arsenic this Napoli side, though. Few successful Europe are close now.

Even with Luciano Spalletti exploring immoderate of his lesser-heralded options, the Italians were playing a antithetic crippled to their willing, but fatally ill-equipped, visitors.

And the mode it started was wholly successful keeping with a wretched run for the Ibrox side. A lapse successful attraction 11 minutes in. Bang. Giovanni Di Lorenzo slices a walk astir Ben Davies and into the way of Giovanni Simone. Bang. The striker's decorativeness is ruthless.

Van Bronckhorst spoke pre-match of his broadside "collapsing" aft conceding successful caller times. The memories of Ajax and Liverpool stay raw.

Time to instrumentality a breath, support your shape, don't bash thing daft. Don't let Mario Rui to flash a transverse successful from the left. Don't let Simeone to dart betwixt 2 defenders and thump a header distant from Allan McGregor.

Just 16 minutes gone and Rangers indispensable person felt similar they were successful a washing machine. Tanguy Ndombele scudded 1 against the barroom and Giacomo Raspadori had a mates of adjacent things before, mercifully for the Scots, the battle dissipated.

Napoli returned to casually fizzing the shot betwixt them, adjacent generously allowing Rangers a crook present and again until the Premiership broadside inevitably gave it back.

Even erstwhile they did person a uncommon infinitesimal of promise, specified arsenic the sleight of ft that allowed Malik Tillman to burrow into the container connected a mates of occasions oregon Alfredo Morelos' snatched volley, they could not summon the insouciant prime that came truthful easy to their hosts.

The 1 clip they did, Morelos should person scored but someway allowed Ridvan Yilmaz's teasing debased transverse to flash implicit his ft with the extremity gaping. It would beryllium his past act.

It was besides Rangers' past hope. Napoli - and Simeone - had gone adjacent to a 3rd a mates of times aboriginal successful the 2nd half, and moments aft McGregor rescued his ragged defenders by denying Mario Rui, that extremity came.

It was much prosaic than mightiness person been expected, but determination was inactive overmuch to respect successful the mode Ostigard contorted his cervix to drawback a header past the helpless goalkeeper.

The Rangers players were disconsolate but, fixed Liverpool gave them 7 past clip retired and determination were fears that Napoli could bash the same, possibly they volition permission Italy thankful for tiny mercies.

Player of the lucifer - Giovanni Simeone

Simeone was a persistent pest to Rangers' centre backs. A niggly, elusive, cunning centre forward. Perhaps it should beryllium nary astonishment fixed the enactment of his aged antheral Diego astatine Atletico Madrid...

Rangers taught acquisition by Napoli - analysis

This was rather the acquisition Napoli offered Rangers, conscionable arsenic Liverpool and Ajax person astatine times earlier successful the section. The Italians casually cranked up the unit earlier detonating successful a devastating 5 oregon six-minute spell successful the opening quarter, past retreated.

Their enactment done and the radical each but won, the Serie A leaders were comparatively contented to adjacent the contention down. Sporadically, they reminded Rangers of their threat, but the visitors stuck to their task and adjacent had the unusual show of extremity themselves.

In truth, Napoli - without the likes of Pitor Zielinski, Hirving Lozano, Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - were conscionable excessively good. But Van Bronckhorst tin instrumentality immoderate succour from the information his broadside showed the immoderate of the resoluteness helium had asked for and instrumentality location with dignity intact.

They adjacent person an, albeit slim, accidental of snatching a Europa League spot successful the caller year.

What's next?

Rangers big Aberdeen successful the Scottish Premiership connected Saturday (15:00 BST) earlier completing their European commitments against Ajax connected Tuesday (19:45 GMT). Napoli, meanwhile, tin look up to the past 16 and a Serie A rubric tilt.

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