Napoli are eyeing a record-breaking 12th straight victory over Rangers in this week’s Champions League clash after they dumped Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma in the Italian capital.
Luciano Spalletti’s side are the form team in European football right now and have just recorded their 11th straight win with the victory over the Giallorossi – equalling a club record.
This comes after Napoli defeated AS Roma 1-0 at the Stadio Olímpico, Victor Osimhen scoring with 10 minutes to play and Jose Mourinho’s side failing to register a single shot on target.
Napoli win over Roma sets up Rangers Champions League record
The original winning streak dates back to 1986, meaning that if Napoli can defeat Rangers they’ll have gone one further than the Partenopei side led by the legendary Diego Armando Maradona.
And it is to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium Rangers are heading next as Ibrox supporters brace themselves for yet another Champions League pummelling.
Rangers are on track to be the worst performing Champions League Group Stage team ever as things stand after harrowing defeats to Ajax (4-0), Napoli (0-3) and Liverpool (2-0, 1-7).
The hammering at home to Liverpool was particularly sore as Rangers shipped seven and recorded the club’s worst ever European defeat and heaviest-ever defeat at Ibrox in one 90 minute collapse.
Throw in the Napoli record and the potential to be – quite literally – the worst team ever to play at Champions League Group Stage level and we’re looking at Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Rangers being a team of record-breakers for all the wrong reasons.
Remarkably, Rangers still have an outside chance of European football after Christmas but the club needs something – a miracle perhaps – from the match in Naples.
If Rangers can earn at least a point v Napoli, and Liverpool do the business against Ajax, then a victory over the Dutch Champions in the final match at Ibrox would see the club finish 3rd and secure Europa League football after Christmas.
But as Napoli add AS Roma to their list of conquests this season, and Rangers enter the fierce Diego Maradona stadium with no fans of their own, it’s an especially tough task.
Meanwhile, Rangers fans are already eyeing up three managers as potential Giovanni van Bronckhorst replacements.