Rangers’ Europa League tie with Roma will be the 26th time they have faced Italian opposition in Europe.
Ibrox hosts the first-ever meeting of the sides with Rangers currently bottom of the Europa League and Roma in 23rd position.
Rangers’ most recent clash with an Italian team came back in 2022, when they met Napoli during the Champions League group stage.
Napoli won 3-0 home and away, leaving Rangers’ record to date at six wins, five draws and 14 defeats when facing an Italian team.
This means Italian sides have recorded the third-most victories over Rangers in Europe, behind Spanish teams (15) in second and German teams (20) in first.
However, there have been some memorable results for Rangers against Serie A opposition.
In 2008, the Ibrox club reached the Uefa Cup final by defeating Fiorentina on penalties following two goalless draws.
That victory earned a measure of revenge for the 1961 European Cup Winners’ Cup final defeat to the same side, who won 4-1 over two legs to claim the trophy.
Eleven years on from that defeat, Rangers famously went on to win the competition. On the run to Cup Winners’ Cup glory in 1972, they defeated Torino 2-1 on aggregate – with Willie Johnston’s goal earning a decisive 1-0 second-leg win at Ibrox – in the last eight.
Rangers will be hoping to add another momentous result tonight to pick up their first points of the Europa League campaign.
