On eight minutes Jacob Pazikas was forced to tip over Lorenzo Russo’s free-kick from the right side of the penalty area. The end to end start to the game continued, Arron Lyall cutting in from the right past two defenders before shooting wide of the far post.
Rangers were forced into a change on thirteen minutes when Greig Allen picked up a knock and was replaced by Kelsey Ewan. The home side had a chance a couple of minutes later when the ball broke for Antonio Pesce but he shot straight at Jacob Pazikas. Rangers took the lead on twenty minutes, following a corner from the right Bailey Rice headed the ball back into the box and it fell for Robbie Ure his initial touch bounced back to him off a defender and he shot past Claudio Turi.
Rangers doubled their lead two minutes later, Zak Lovelace cutting in from the left past two defenders before firing past Claudio Turi and into the keeper’s bottom right hand corner. Just before the the half hour mark Zak Lovelace threatened again, a step over took him past Benedetto Barba into the left side of the penalty area before shooting narrowly over.
A couple of minutes later Lorenzo Russo swung in a free-kick from the left which found the head of Francesco Giolelli and his glancing header came back off the crossbar. Two minutes into first half injury time, from a corner on the right Lorenzo Russo picked out Allesandro Spavone on the edge of the box and his shot beat Jacob Pazikas with the aid of a deflection. With first half injury time heading for a sixth minute Napoli equalised from the penalty spot. The attacker went down under a challenge when he broke into the right side of the box and the referee pointed to the spot with Allesandro Spavone converting the penalty.
Half-Time: Napoli 2 - 2 Rangers
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Rangers started the second half with James Graham replacing Paul Nsio and the half was five minutes old when Rangers regained the lead with a penalty of their own. The referee adjudged Arron Lyall’s strike from the edge of the box was handled by a defender, Zak Lovelace beat Claudio Turi low to his right despite a valiant attempt from the keeper. Rangers broke six minutes later through Zak Lovelace on the left, he passed inside to Robbie Ure who moved the ball onto James Graham inside the right side of the penalty area with his shot deflecting narrowly wide for a corner.
A minute later Zak Lovelace’s ball over the defence saw James Graham lob the advancing Claudio Turi but Daniels Nosegbe-Susko got back to clear from in front of goal. Just before the hour mark some good play from Antonio Pesce on the right saw him send Lorenzo Russo into the right side of the box with Jacob Pazikas saving at the near post.
Rangers had the next chance from a good passing move which ended with James Graham inside the right side of the box but he screwed his shot wide of the near post. Robbie Ure was then sent clear on the midpoint of the half and he lobbed Claudio Turi but the ball went just over.
With just over fifteen minutes remaining Zak Lovelace and James Graham combined to find Robbie Ure inside the box and close to the right hand byline, his cross come shot was deflected upwards and knocked towards the net by a Napoli defender but Lorenzo Russo was on hand to head from the line. With ten minutes remaining Napoli got the the left hand byline where the cutback found Leonardo Rossi who was denied by a fine Jacob Pazikas save.
The final clear cut chance came with five minutes remaining, Robbie Fraser played the ball forward to Robbie Ure on the left side of the penalty area, he went past a defender and rounded the keeper but was forced a bit wide and could only find the side netting with his shot.
The disappointing news that Ajax had beaten Liverpool came later, which means that even an win in next week’s game at Firhill will not be enough to make the knockout stages.
Full-Time: Napoli 2 - 3 Rangers
Napoli: Claudio Turi; Landry Boni, Benedetto Barba, Daniels Nosegbe-Susko, Luigi D’Avino (Davide Acampa 77 Mins), Enrico Giannini; Lorenzo Russo (Lamine Gningue 71 Mins), Francesco Giolelli (Alessio Lettera 77 Mins), Allesandro Spavone (Gennaro Iaccarino 63 Mins); Antonio Pesce, Dylan de Pasquale (Leaonardo Ross 63 Mins). Not used: Nicola Pellino (Gk), Pasquale Pontillo.
Rangers: Jacob Pazikas; Jack Harkness, Lewis MacKinnon, Greig Allen (Kelsey Ewan 13 Mins), Robbie Fraser; Mackenzie Strachan; Paul Nsio (James Graham HT), Bailey Rice Kevin Ciubotaru 82 Mins); Arron Lyall, Robbie Ure, Zak Lovelace (Kristian Webster 82 Mins). Not Used: Sam Kane (Gk), Tyler Pasnik, Connor Young.
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