Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti has praised Rangers for showing a determination to impose themselves in the Champions League - despite their 3-0 loss to the Italian giants on Wednesday night.
Goals from Matteo Politano, Giacomo Raspadori and Tanguy Ndombele left Light Blues fans disheartened as a second loss in as many Champions League group stage games left them as the only pointless side in Group A heading into the third round of fixtures. With Liverpool and Ajax on three points apiece and Napoli having collected six, fears have already set in that Rangers ' European adventure is set to come to an abrupt end so early into the season.
But the Gers didn't go down without a fight. They were not shy of chances in the first half, and were buoyed once again as Allan McGregor saved two penalties on the hour mark to give Gio van Bronckhorst's men hope of securing a famous result. Of course, that didn't happen, but the signs were there as they went toe-to-toe with the Serie A league leaders on a memorable night in Govan - and Spalletti admitted as much, stating that his side were challenged by the Light Blues throughout before running away with all three points towards the final ebbings.
“It was a big win and I want to congratulate the players," Spalletti said. “We faced a tough challenge as Rangers were determined to impose themselves and bounce back. They tried to play a physical game and we did well to control play using our technical ability. It was the performance we were looking for. We showed quality and I think it was a mature display from the team.
“It was difficult out there for everyone. For me, what was crucial was the reaction after the two unconverted penalties. We showed that we have depth and personality. And I’d like to say that [Piotr] Zielinski was man-of-the-match even after the penalties.
“I appreciated the mental approach of the players. We are showing that we’ve grown. The players who came on played confidently and strongly. We’re pleased and happy with what we’re doing, but we need to stay calm and work hard. We’re top of the group but we’ve still got plenty of games to go.”
Raspadori, who scored the second goal of the evening, echoed his manager's thoughts after admitting that fans at Ibrox showed 'personality' in a bid to get behind their team.
“I’m happy with my goal. It’s thanks to a great team performance," he said. “It’s a nice moment for me, but I’m part of a group with great quality. It wasn’t easy coming here tonight and playing with such personality at the Ibrox Stadium.
“On top of that, we could have taken a psychological blow after the two unconverted penalties. However, everyone showed the right mentality to come away with a deserved victory. We’re doing well on the road, whether that’s in Serie A or the Champions League, but we must remain calm and relaxed. We need to work hard, and that’s especially true for me, because we have a big season ahead. The team are showing that they’re at the top and we want to continue in this vein.”
Rangers face Liverpool next at Anfield in what is set to be a hotly-contested fixture, before welcoming the Reds to Ibrox just a week later in mid October - and you feel that anything less than a point in either game against Jurgen Klopp's side could spell the end of their Champions League show...
