RANGERS welcome Napoli to Glasgow as Ibrox hosts its first Champions League group stage fixture since 2010.
HISTORY
One of the most iconic clubs in Europe, Napoli have lifted the Serie A title on two separate occasions while racking up eight more domestic honours.
The Partenopei last tasted league success back in 1989/90 during the heyday of the late Diego Maradona, with the legendary Argentinian also leading the club to the summit of Italian football three years earlier.
Success has been more difficult to come by for Napoli in recent years after several close title races with Juventus, although they have managed to lift the Coppa Italia three times in the last twelve years.
CURRENT FORM
The Partenopei are unbeaten this season despite losing the talismanic figures of both Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens over the summer.
They sit joint-top of Serie A alongside AC Milan and Atalanta at this early stage of the campaign, recording a particularly impressive 2-1 victory on the road against Lazio earlier this month.
The Italian outfit also kicked off their Group A campaign with an emphatic 4-1 win over Liverpool in Naples, with only goal difference separating themselves and Ajax heading into Matchday 2.
MANAGER
Napoli are managed by Luciano Spalletti after the 63-year-old replaced former Rangers midfielder Gennaro Gattuso in the dugout in May 2021.
Spalletti has an extensive career coaching in Italy, making his name after a successful stint in charge of Roma in the mid-2000s. The Italian led the Giallorossi to back-to-back Coppa Italia triumphs, famously converting the legendary Francesco Totti into a ‘false nine’ to suit his attacking system.
The 63-year-old then enjoyed a successful period in charge of Zenit St. Petersburg, lifting four trophies in his first two years in charge of the Russian club, before taking the reigns once again at Roma in 2016.
Spalletti reversed the club’s mid-table fortunes to secure Champions League football in consecutive seasons, before repeating the feat at Inter Milan in 2018 as he ended the club’s six-year exile from Europe’s premier competition.
STYLE OF PLAY
Like Ajax before them, Napoli typically line up in a 4-3-3 formation under Spalletti.
The Italian side have a midfield trio comfortable in possession, including the highly-rated Piotr Zielinski, while they tend to attack through their speedy and skillful wingers before delivering crosses into the penalty area. No team in Serie A has scored more goals than Napoli so far this season.
Built upon solid defensive foundations, Spalletti’s side have also conceded just four times this term despite losing Kalidou Koulibaly to Chelsea at the end of last season.
KEY PLAYER
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has made an instant impact since arriving in Naples, delivering four goals and two assists in his first seven appearances.
Nicknamed ‘Kvaradona’ after the iconic Napoli figure, the Georgian has stepped into the shoes vacated by both Insigne and Mertens with his driving runs and goal threat on the left-hand side.
Elsewhere, Andre Zambo Anguissa is a driving force in midfield under Spalletti, while Italy hold high hopes for 22-year-old Giacomo Raspadori.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
Napoli’s trip to Ibrox will mark the first time these two teams have squared off in UEFA competition.
PLAYER LINKS
Former midfielder Gennaro Gattuso spent two years in charge of Napoli before departing the club at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.
The Italian lifted the Coppa Italia with the Partenopei in 2020 after a penalty shootout victory over Juventus.
After leaving the club the following season, the 44-year-old is now in charge of Valencia.
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