Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Rangers side are not having the greatest of starts to the season, although it’s far from being a disaster.
They’re second to Celtic, and four points behind their Glasgow rivals after 11 games. Perhaps more worrying for Rangers is that the goal difference is already +13 in favour of Celtic.
In the Champions League, Rangers are already without a chance of qualifying for the next stage, and they stand bottom of their – admittedly very difficult – Group A.
Rangers have picked up zero points and conceded 16 goals whilst scoring just the one.
This evening they face Napoli, who are top of the group having won four out of four. The Italian club are also top of Serie A, three points ahead of champions AC Milan.
By any measure, this evening’s game is a huge test for Rangers and Van Bronckhorst.
Napoli have a local media which rivals even Rangers and Celtic in never-ending coverage. One of the men who does the most of that is Ciro Venerato.
He’s bold and well connected, and ahead of the match has named the Napoli team. Venerato is quoted by AreaNapoli as saying: “I have my sources and I’ll tell you which team the Tuscan coach will field on the fifth day of the most important continental club competition. Alex Meret will be confirmed in goal.
“In defence, on the outside, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Mario Rui will act respectively on the right and left. Ostigard will certainly play in the centre and one between Kim and Juan Jesus, with the Korean favourite. In midfield there will be space for Gianluca Gaetano with Ndombele and Elmas. Anguissa will go to the bench. In attack, in the centre, Giovanni Simeone, on the left Giacomo Raspadori, on the right finally Matteo Politano.”
