Giovanni Simeone’s early brace and a Leo Ostigard header allowed Napoli to maintain their perfect Champions League start against Rangers and 12th straight win, but top spot goes down to the wire with Liverpool.
The Partenopei had already booked their place in the Round of 16 with a 100 per cent record, scoring 17 goals in four matches, but were looking for a 12th consecutive victory in all competitions to help lock down top spot. Amir Rrahmani was injured, with Victor Osimhen, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Piotr Zielinski rested. Rangers missed Connor Goldson, Thomas Lawrence, John Souttar and Glen Kamara.
It didn’t take long to break the deadlock, as Giovanni Simeone controlled a Giovanni Di Lorenzo cross from the right with the inside of the left boot and fired in with his right from a tight angle.
Moments later, Cholito had another, this time a diving header from six yards between two defenders on Mario Rui’s cross from the left.
It was one-way traffic and only the crossbar denied Tanguy Ndombele a goal with his scorcher on 21 minutes, while a Giacomo Raspadori header was smothered.
Alex Meret’s first save was on the stroke of half-time on Alfredo Morelos after a misplaced pass sparked a counter-attack.
Simeone was probably offside straight after the restart when his lob took a heavy bounce off the turf to go over the empty net.
Allan McGregor also stuck out a leg to deny Simeone at the near post, while Mario Rui bravely threw himself in the way of an acrobatic Morelos volley on a corner and Raspadori’s curler skimmed the far top corner.
Morelos really should’ve scored on 66 minutes, but incredibly missed the ball that Yilmaz rolled across the six-yard box.
It was an unexpected figure for the third goal, as after a desperate save on Mario Rui, the resulting corner was flicked in off the head of Champions League debutant Leo Ostigard from eight yards.
This was the 100th Napoli goal in the history of the European Cup/Champions League and also made them only the second team to score at least three goals in each of their first five group games after PSG in 2017-18.
Simeone scuffed wide with his chance to get the hat-trick in stoppages.
Napoli 3-0 Rangers
Simeone 10, 16 (N), Ostigard 80 (N)
1 goal scored, 19 conceded by Rangers.