Having experienced very different fortunes on the opening night of the Champions League's Group A, Rangers and Napoli meet at Ibrox on Wednesday.
In a fixture postponed by 24 hours, the hosts aim to bounce back from a chastening defeat to Ajax last week, while their Italian counterparts will hope to recapture the magic of their stirring win over Liverpool.
Match preview
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A week to forget at home and abroad saw Rangers start September in the sorriest fashion, and following heavy losses to Celtic in the Glasgow derby and in their Champions League opener, they have plenty of rebuilding to do - not least in terms of confidence.
Three days after a 4-0 capitulation to their arch-rivals in the Scottish Premiership, the Gers suffered a similar setback in Amsterdam, where they found themselves three goals down shortly after the half-hour mark.
Again beaten 4-0, after Borna Barisic saw a superb effort ruled out by the VAR, Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men traipsed away from the Johan Cruijff ArenA with tails between their legs, having suffered the club's fifth loss in as many meetings with Ajax down the years.
Due to the postponement of all football fixtures across Britain at the weekend, Rangers were spared the prospect of facing Aberdeen in the Premiership's early kickoff on Saturday afternoon, so at least had the chance to fix their problems on the training ground.
Defensive improvement will surely have been top of the agenda: they have conceded as many goals in their last two matches as in their previous 10, and have already seen a five-point gap open up to Celtic at the top of the table.
After securing a Champions League group stage spot for the first time in 12 years, though, last season's Europa League runners-up - who negotiated their way past Union SG and PSV in the qualifiers - will not give up on their last-16 dreams without a fight.
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Already three points clear of their Group A rivals, and arriving in Scotland in fine form domestically, Napoli may not necessarily be the first opponents Rangers would choose to meet amid such a slump.
Europe sat up and took notice of the Azzurri's electrifying display at Stadio Maradona on the opening night, as they roared into a 3-0 half-time lead against Liverpool - an advantage which would have been even greater but for a penalty save by Alisson.
Star striker Victor Osimhen also struck the post before Piotr Zielinski, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Osimhen's replacement Giovanni Simeone all found the net in front of a rapturous Neapolitan crowd. Indeed, the latter needed just three minutes to score on his Champions League debut after appearing as a substitute.
Following a quick start to the 2022-23 campaign, successive Serie A draws may have slowed the momentum of Luciano Spalletti's side, but a comeback win at Lazio to start September seems to have been the catalyst for their winning run.
It may have taken the best part of 90 minutes to break Spezia's resistance on Saturday, but Napoli followed up on their seismic success against the 2019 European champions by snatching a 1-0 win through Giacomo Raspadori's late strike - putting them top of the table after six rounds; ahead of Milan and Atalanta on goal difference.
Also top scorers in the Italian top flight so far, the Campanian club have had to rebuild their squad after a series of summer departures, but if anything, new boys Raspadori, Kim Min-jae and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ('Kvaradona' to the locals) have helped them forget their faltering finish last term.
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Team News
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Despite speculation about his position in recent weeks, Rangers goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin is expected to see off competition from 40-year-old reserve Allan McGregor again on Wednesday - the latter featured in the club's last Champions League campaign, back in 2010.
Tom Lawrence missed both the Old Firm derby and the Gers' subsequent trip to Amsterdam with a knee injury, and he could be sidelined until the end of the month; joining Ben Davies, John Souttar and Filip Helander on the treatment table.
Forward pair Kemar Roofe and Ianis Hagi also remain out of action, but were omitted from Giovanni van Bronckhorst's squad for the group stage in any case. Instead, controversial Colombian striker Alfredo Morelos aims to displace Antonio Colak, who has scored seven times since signing from Malmo.
Meanwhile, Napoli must make at least one change to the lineup that started against Liverpool, as Victor Osimhen's thigh strain threatens to keep the Nigeria international out until October.
Therefore, either Giacomo Raspadori or Giovanni Simeone will lead the line for the visitors at Ibrox - and potentially against Milan at the weekend.
After being rested at the weekend, Kim Min-jae and Piotr Zielinski should return to the starting XI, while Hirving Lozano's absence sees Matteo Politano continue on the right flank.
Rangers possible starting lineup:
McLaughlin; Tavernier, Goldson, Sands, Barisic; Lundstram, Davis; Tillman, Kamara, Kent; Morelos
Napoli possible starting lineup:
Meret; Di Lorenzo, Kim, Rrahmani, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka; Politano, Zielinski, Kvaratskhelia; Simeone
We say: Rangers 1-1 Napoli
Rangers have only advanced from the group phase in one of their 10 previous participations, so the task which stands before them is quite clear following last week's thumping by Ajax.
They will have learned their lessons from such a setback, though, and in front of a boisterous home crowd can push in-form Napoli all the way; securing their first Group A point.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
