With a win, Napoli would set themselves up well to win Group A. Meanwhile, Rangers look to bounce back from a 1-7 drubbing at the hands of Liverpool.
SSC Napoli
With their win over Roma, Napoli have won 11 consecutive matches in all competitions, including four victories in the UEFA Champions League. Napoli have already secured their place in the knockout phase, but a win against Rangers would put the Partenopei in a commanding position to win the group.
However, Napoli are also top of the Serie A table, three points clear of AC Milan, and will be mindful of an important match against Sassuolo on Saturday. Sassuolo have been somewhat of a bogey team for the Azzurri, so Spalletti will look to rotate his squad just enough to stay fresh for Sassuolo, while also not jeopardizing a result against Rangers.
Rangers FC
Rangers have yet to collect a point in the group stage. However, if they can earn at least a point against Napoli, Rangers will play a showdown against Ajax on the final matchday to determine which of the two clubs is demoted to the UEFA Europa League.
At the same time, van Bronckhorst will be looking for damage control. Rangers are in the midst of an injury crisis and cannot afford to lose any more players. After Saturday’s draw to Livingston FC – a point that was only salvaged in the 91st minute – the Bears find themselves four points back of rivals Celtic FC, who have had a near perfect start to the campaign.
Injuries/Suspensions
Amir Rrahmani continues to recover from a thigh muscle injury that will keep the central defender out until 2023. André-Frank Zambo Anguissa is expected to return to the squad while Salvatore Sirigu continues to do therapy to treat a muscle injury.
Meanwhile, Rangers are in the midst of an injury crises, particularly at the back. Central defenders Connor Goldson (hamstring), Filip Helander (foot) and John Suttar (ankle) are all ruled out. Midfielders Ryan Jack (calf), Nnamdi Ofoborh (heart condition) and Ianis Hagi (knee) are all out as well. Finally, left winger Tom Lawrence is out with a knee injury.
Probable Formations
Manager’s Comments
Luciano Spalletti:
“Recently I have been paying attention obviously to the matches of Rangers and honestly, I see good things. My colleague, their manager, is a very solid manager and he often comes up with very good solutions. For example, with the game against Liverpool, at the end of the first half they were still 1-1, and they also created many opportunities to score. So, I would like to stress that thinking we are going up against an easy team and that we will have an easy game is a mistake which we will definitely not make. Our goal is to give our best and to show that we have the DNA and the mindset to be the champions.“
Giovanni van Bronckhorst:
“Of course it’s a team who, I think won the last 11 games, against really tough opposition as well, in Champions League but also in Serie A. For us, we know the opposition, we know the quality, so for us it’s a chance to have a good performance against a really good team, like we did at home.“
Previous Meetings
| September 14, 2022 | Rangers FC | 0-3 | SSC Napoli |
Match Officials
Head Official: Halil Umut Meler
Assistants: Mustafa Eyisoy and Cevdet Komurcuoglu
Fourth Official: Arda Kardeşler
VAR: Abdulkadir Bitigen
