Rangers will face Napoli on Wednesday after UEFA pushed the Champions League tie back by a day, so what are the Gers’ best results against Italian sides in European competitions?
The Ibrox club have had their fair share of glorious European nights against Italian teams in the past. None more so than Nacho Novo sending Walter Smith’s squad into the UEFA Cup final in 2008. Although positive outcomes have not always been the conclusion of the ties.
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Rangers have only faced German (49), Spanish (26) and French (25) teams more often than Italian sides (23) ahead of hosting Napoli this week. Yet the Glasgow natives have only won in six of their meetings with Italian outfits so far, along with five draws, around 12 defeats.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst will hope he can oversee Rangers’ seventh win against an Italian side in Europe this week. The Gers welcome Napoli to Ibrox on Wednesday, September 14, after UEFA postponed the two club’s second Group A tie of the 2022/23 term by 24 hours.
As cited by BBC Sport, the tie is delayed ‘due to the severe limitations on police resources and organisational issues’ following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. UEFA also confirmed that away fans will not be allowed to travel or for the reverse tie in Naples on October 26.
Napoli will arrive in Glasgow looking for their second Group A win of the term after beating Liverpool 4-1. Whilst the Gers are yet to get off the mark after losing in Amsterdam to Ajax 4-0. So, with that in mind, what are Rangers’ best European results against Italian sides?
Rangers beat all-conquering Italian side Inter Milan in 1964/65 European Cup
Rangers met Inter Milan in the quarter-finals of the European Cup in 1964/65 after beating Red Star Belgrade and Rapid Vienna. The Nerazzurri had won the UEFA title in the previous season, in what was their first campaign in the competition after winning Serie A in ‘62/63.
The San Siro side were an all-conquering unit at the time, and would cap a dominant spell with another Scudetto in 1964/65 and again in ‘65/66. They also coupled their ‘64/65 Serie A title with the European Cup, but after holding on to eliminate Rangers 3-2 on aggregate.
Inter Milan stormed into a commanding 3-1 advantage after the first-leg in February 1965 in front of their home crowd. Yet the Gers refused to roll over and, under Scot Symon, put on an Ibrox show to win 1-0, keeping the all-powerful visiting Nerazzurri honest in Glasgow.
Rangers beat Torino in 1971/72 on route to winning a European competition
Rangers went all the way to win the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1971/72, and beat an Italian side in Torino in the quarter-finals of the European competition. The Gers toured the continent on route to facing Dinamo Moscow at Barcelona’s Camp Nou, the venue of a 3-2 final win.
Their journey began with a first-round win over Stade Rennais, followed with victories over Sporting Lisbon, Torino and German giants Bayern Munich. Rangers’ third-round tie with Il Toro featured a 1-0 win at Ibrox to advance, after claiming a 1-1 draw in their visit to Turin.
Defeat was something Rangers only tasted once in the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1971/72, after a 4-3 defeat to Sporting Lisbon away from home following a 3-2 first-leg result. They also beat Bayern Munich 2-0 at Ibrox following a 1-1 draw in Bavaria to advance into the final.
Rangers eliminated Juventus from European Cup in 1978/79 first-round
Rangers eliminated Italian giants Juventus from the 1978/79 European Cup after they drew the Turin natives in the first-round. But the Gers’ campaign got off to a shaky start after the Bianconeri won 1-0, only to respond and beat their guests 2-0 at Ibrox in September 1978.
The win set Rangers up for a second-round encounter with PSV Eindhoven that ended 0-0 at Ibrox, before winning 3-2 in the Netherlands. But the Glasgow natives’ route came to an early end in the quarter-final, as FC Koln advanced 2-1 on aggregate after a 1-1 Ibrox draw.
Parma failed to prevent Rangers entering 1999/2000 Champions League
Parma failed to stop Rangers from entering the 1999/2000 Champions League group stage, as the Gers came through two qualifying rounds. The Ibrox natives drew the Italian side for the final hurdle that season following a 7-1 aggregate demolition of Finnish outfit FC Haka.
Things started promisingly for Rangers, as they swept a 2-0 win over Parma at Ibrox to put a foot in the group stage. But a 1-0 loss two weeks later in August 1999 gave the Glasgow giants a nervy end, before UEFA would draw the Premiership team in a tough group stage.
Valencia, Bayern Munich and PSV Eindhoven would combine to ensure Rangers did not go into the year 2K with Champions League football but UEFA Cup ties in third-place. Only the Gers’ two meetings with PSV returned wins, whilst holding Der FCB to a 1-1 draw at Ibrox.
Nacho Novo heroics capped Rangers’ European delight vs Italian side Fiorentina
Novo gave Rangers’ one of their absolute best nights in any European competition in May 2008, as the Gers overcame Italian side Fiorentina to reach the UEFA Cup final. The teams had drawn 0-0 at Ibrox, and went all the way through extra-time without a second-leg hit.
Fiorentina had dominated for much of the reverse meeting, but Sasa Papac kept the score level after clearing Mario Alberto Santana’s attempt on the line. Adrian Mutu and Christian Vieri also came close for the Viola, who also played the final 10 minutes with an extra man.
Daniel Cousin reduced Smith’s side to 10-men with 10 minutes of extra-time to play after a headbutt on Fabio Liverani led to the substitute’s second yellow card. An extra-man would ultimately not be enough for Fiorentina to stop the semi-final going to penalties, however.
Rangers captain Barry Ferguson blundered his lines, as Sebastien Frey saved his spot-kick. Yet his blushes were spared when Vieri blazed his attempt over the bar – allowing Novo a chance to step up and send Rangers into a final with Zenit St Petersburg they would lose.
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