McGREGOR CAN’T SAVE RANGERS
TEN-MAN Rangers were left searching for their first Champions League point after a 3-0 defeat by Napoli at Ibrox last night.
Returning keeper Allan McGregor sensationally saved a retaken Piotr Zielinksi spot-kick on the hour after Gers defender James Sands was sent off conceding it, before he was beaten from 12 yards in the 67th minute by Matteo Politano.
Giacomo Raspador added a second with five minutes remaining and fellow sub Tanguy Ndombele grabbed a third in added time.
Light Blues boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst had vowed to stick to his philosophy after heavy defeats to Celtic and Ajax, but he rang the changes from Amsterdam one enforced as McGregor returned in goal for the injured Jon McLaughlin.
Striker Alfredo Morelos made his first start since March and came close in the first minute with a glancing header from a James Tavernier cross.
Napoli responded and Zielinksi hammered a left-footed shot off the outside of a post.
In the 12th minute a powerful Arfield drive from 25 yards was beaten away by Napoli keeper Alex Meret for a corner which came to nothing.
The home supporters had the stadium to themselves and were almost off their seats when Morelos, booked earlier by referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz for a challenge on Meret, fired in low from the edge of the box but the keeper gathered.
Napoli posed a constant threat and Georgia international Khvicha Kvaratskhelia flashed a drive inches wide just before the break.
McGregor punched away a drive from Kvaratskhelia shortly after the restart and then Politano shot wide from 20 yards. Then came the madness. As Gio Simeone raced clean through on goal he was tackled by backtracking Sands, who had been booked just three minutes earlier for a foul on Politano.
Packing
Referee Mateu Laho produced a second yellow and then red to send the USA international packing.
McGregor brilliantly saved Zielinski’s penalty but Politano slammed the rebound home.
However, after a lengthy VAR check the penalty had to be retaken for encroachment and McGregor again dived to his right to parry Zielinski’s spot-kick.
However, another Napoli penalty arrived when Borna Barisic handled a drive from Kvaratskhelia and this time Politano found the bottom corner.
Napoli took full control but with five minutes to go Raspador combined with Mathias Olivera and knocked in a second before Ndombele struck from 14 yards for a third.