Napoli turned heads last week when they rattled four goals past a shell-shocked Liverpool in Group A and Luciano Spalletti’s energetic Partenopei will hope to do more damage when they visit a Rangers side that was dismantled by Ajax on matchday one.
This stats pack supplies you with all the numbers behind the teams’ season’s so far, for goals, shots, corners and cards. That should boost your chances of a well-researched bet builder winner.
Predicted Lineups
Rangers were torn to shreds in successive defeats to rivals Celtic (0-4) and Ajax (0-4) in their last two assignments and manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst might switch from a 4-2-3-1 formation to a less expansive 4-3-3 set-up in an attempt to stem the flow.
van Bronckhorst tends to include veteran Steven Davis in his midfield for bigger games, so expect the experienced stalwart to make an appearance on Wednesday.
Napoli are likely to stick with the crux of the side that blitzed Liverpool on matchday one, though the absence of injured Victor Osimhen will lead to an enforced change in attack.
Giovanni Simeone scored off the bench against the Reds in Naples and the Argentinean could fill the void left by Osimhen’s absence.
Team Stats
Rangers have dropped just five points in six matches in the Scottish Premiership and their performance stats from the division are unsurprisingly strong.
The Gers have been racking up 18.83 shots p/90, while their xG against figure (0.98 per 90) is impressively low. Their domestic metrics counted for little when they were demolished by Ajax in Amsterdam last week, however.
Armed with the best goal-scoring record and the joint second-best defence, Napoli are sitting pretty at the top of Serie A after six games.
Luciano Spalletti’s well-marshalled backline have the lowest xG against figures per 90 (0.56) in the entire division, though they have notched just four times in their last three domestic fixtures combined at the other end.
Player Shots and Shots on Target
Veteran Scott Arfield (3.92 shots per 90) is an incredibly impactful super-sub for Rangers, though the 33-year-old will be kept in reserve again on Wednesday.
Regular starters Antonio Colak (4.16 shots p/90) and Malik Tillman (2.36) are both worth keeping an eye on in the final third, while skipper James Tavernier’s (2.00) numbers are swollen due to his proficiency from set pieces.
No Napoli player has mustered more attempts per 90 than Nigerian hotshot Victor Osimhen in Serie A this season and the 23-year-old’s absence could be significant on Wednesday.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran Liverpool ragged from the left flank in Naples last week and the Georgian has been testing keepers more often (2.23 p/90) than any of his teammates in Serie A since the summer.
Player Goals and Assists
Croatian striker Antonio Colak bagged 50% of his total haul for the campaign so far with a brace against Ross County at the end of August. Right back James Tavernier has been a key contributor in the Premiership with four goal contributions (2G, 2A).
Rangers failed to register against Ajax on matchday one in Group A and Kenny Miller was the last Gers player to score a Champions League group stage goal all the way back in December 2010 (vs Bursaspor).
Unearthed Georgian gem Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (4 goals) has been outshining and outgunning his teammates in his maiden campaign in Italy, while a second summer signing Korean defender Min-Jae Kim (2 goals) has been a set-piece threat from the back.
Liverpool couldn’t live with the creative advances of Piotr Zielinski a week ago and the Polish international has been carving defences open in Serie A this season too (3 assists).
Rangers Cards
Centre-half Connor Goldson (4) has been carded more often than he would like in Scotland this season and the -year-old will have to sharpen up his challenges to avoid being cautioned in the Champions League.
John Lundstram (1.85 fouls p/90) is fond of a joust in midfield and bettors should watch him closely when he engages with Napoli playmakers Stanislav Lobotka and Piotr Zielinski.
Stanislav Lobotka is ice-cool in possession when pressed, though the Russian midfielder draws plenty of fouls as a result (2.98 p/90). Lobotka was the game’s most fouled player when Napoli beat Liverpool 4-1 in Italy seven days ago.
Rangers will have identified the match-winning talents of Piotr Zielinski as a major threat on Wednesday, so expect the Polish star to get plenty of attention.
Match-Ups to watch
Connor Goldson vs Giovanni Simeone
John Lundstram vs Stanislav Lobotka
John Lundstram vs Piotr Zielinski
Napoli Cards
Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s style of play is in keeping with Italian defensive traditions. If the ball gets past the 29-year-old, then the man doesn’t and the fullback has been clocking 1.50 fouls per 90 this season.
In midfield, Franck Zambo Aguissa has committed 0.89 fouls p/90 in Serie A, though that jumped to 2.0 against Liverpool in the Champions League and the Cameroon international will bring style and steel to Glasgow on Wednesday.
Glen Kamara is Rangers’ most fouled player per 90 in the Premiership this season (4.29), though the Finnish international didn’t see enough of the ball against Ajax last week to draw many ill-tempered challenges. Indeed, he touched the ball just 25 times in Amsterdam overall.
Wing wizard Ryan Kent (2.94) has also been on the wrong end of some meaty tackles this term and his one-on-one duels with Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo should make for intriguing viewing.
Match-Ups to watch
Giovanni Di Lorenzo vs Ryan Kent
Franck Zambo Aguissa vs Glen Kamara
Franck Zambo Aguissa vs John Lundstram
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Hard to call this one, but if you are placing a bet builder keep the stakes low and gamble responsibly.
Otherwise, let’s see some winners.
