Ahead of Rangers against Roma, we had a chat with former Italian striker Marco Negri, famous for his experience with one of Glasgow's two great sides at the turn of the 2000s, which he still follows with passion.
After working his way up through the ranks between Serie C and B and a great season in A with Perugia, Negri made a huge impact in the Gers shirt, becoming the top scorer in the Scottish Premiership in the 1997/98 season, before suffering a series of unfortunate injuries that kept him away from the pitch for a long time and limited his performances.
Roma will face Rangers away on Thursday with the aim of getting back on track after the home defeat against Viktoria Plzen, and also try to erase the defeat at San Siro in the league. What kind of match will it be, and what pitfalls does it hold?
"Cup matches are difficult to read, and there is a special atmosphere. Rangers are not going through a happy moment; they have changed coach, and they come from a defeat in the Scottish Cup against Celtic.
"However, I expect a very intense start to get the fans on their side, with great intensity, great running and desire to do well. There is a new coach, and as a result, there will be extra enthusiasm.
"Roma will have to be careful in the first few minutes not to get crushed too much, and then they will have to make use of the technical level of the many strong players they have. By running the ball and running the opponent, it will have to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves.
"The team has not been very prolific lately, and given (Paulo) Dybala's absence, they will also lack a bit of imagination up front. They will have to manage the initial emotions, and then they will have to play their own game."
As seen in their last outing, Roma create a lot and finish little, and this is now a hot topic. As a former forward first and then a coach of strikers, is there cause for concern? What is going wrong?
"A new coach has arrived who certainly demands a lot from the forwards, also in the defensive phase, and given the waste of energy, it happens that we don't come out on top in the goal area.
"History says that all the forwards in Gasperini's teams score a lot of goals, given the offensive philosophy, but I say you have to wait, and the goals will come. Given the injuries, it will be an important match for (Artem) Dovbyk to show his characteristics, a 'British' match that suits him.
"The history of strikers is like that: there are periods when they struggle, then they get unblocked, and the seasons change. The important thing is that Gasperini's game continues like this."
Rangers are coming from a complicated start to the season: after badly failing to qualify for the Champions League, they found themselves in the Europa League, where they lost their first three games. And being behind in the league as well, coach Russell Martin has gone, replaced by young German Danny Rohl. What are the differences between the two?
"There was a really difficult situation, and all the fans were hoping for a return of Steven Gerrard, but he declined, and it was not easy to find a coach to manage such a complicated moment, as Rangers are so far behind in the league that it had not been seen for years.
"Let's give this coach time, as it often happens when a new coach takes over, there comes an emotional and nervous shock. I therefore expect a combative team.
"It will not be easy for Roma, who will not find a resigned team nor an easy prey, despite having zero points and being in a difficult moment. Being at home, then, you have to consider that they will effectively play with 12, because the crowd will be a factor in their favour."
Curiously, it will be the first of two consecutive away matches that Roma will play in Scotland (where they have not been since 1984), as after Rangers, it will be Celtic's turn. Will anything change?
"Cup matches, as I said, always have different motivations, and the atmosphere has a big impact.
"For Roma, it will be a new game, since after every match you forget everything, while for Rangers, it will be a match that can serve to restore a spark to the whole environment, to change the trend of this season, which at the moment is not positive."
Who and what does Roma have to pay particular attention to against Rangers?
"Captain (James) Tavernier, even though he is a full-back, has an eye for goal and is very dangerous on set pieces. Dangers can come from corners and clever balls put in from the side. They also have a very good goalkeeper (Jack Butland).
"In general, at home they have pace and legs, and Roma will have to be good at dampening enthusiasm at the beginning. If Rangers were to start well and unlock the game, then at Ibrox everything would become very complicated."
In the league, can this really be the year of Hearts, or will Celtic and Rangers eventually catch up with the current leaders?
"In my opinion, no, you have to give them kudos for the start, but I think that sooner or later they will face a period of decline and, losing a few points, perhaps in direct clashes, the values will flatten out.
"Celtic and Rangers will play it out as always (if they manage to put things right), but Hearts can still be a nuisance throughout the season."
In Serie A, it is a great moment for Scottish players: Scott McTominay was the MVP of last season, and there are five other players (Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson, Che Adams, Josh Doig and Lennon Miller) who, some more and some less, are doing well.
"It's great to see so many Scots in Italy! For the midfielder, it is perfect because, having characteristics typical of British leagues such as aggressiveness, drive, and intensity, and being proactive in both attack and defence, he then makes a further upgrade in our league by learning tactical knowledge.
"And the same goes for the wingers. They come across as modern players with a lot of goals. This shows that Scottish football is growing and has talent that can make a good impression in Italy as well, and in the future, I am convinced that more and more players will go fishing in those leagues there."
How do you see the situation in Serie A this year, with at least five teams vying for the top spot?
"It is a beautiful championship for the fans because no team has taken the lead, it is very close, and there is a lot of balance. Some teams have not yet found their final set-up, others have already changed coaches, like Juventus. I expect a seesaw of results until January/February, then we'll see who will be the best coach to transmit their mentality and help the team find unity of purpose.
"There are many teams with quality that can aspire to the Scudetto; at least four or five teams will be in contention: Napoli, Inter, Juventus, Roma and Milan have what it takes to go all the way."
And will former Rangers player Gattuso finally succeed in taking Italy to the World Cup?
"I was very pleased with his appointment, as he is also a former teammate.
"In my opinion, he's the right profile, made of passion and love for the jersey. I wish him the best of luck, but you also need a bit of luck to go through the play-offs.
"I am sure he will give 100 per cent of his enthusiasm and pass it on to his players. Italy is a team with talent, we will have to arrive ready for these matches and hope for an affordable opponent."