Allan McGregor rolled back the years as Champions League group stage football made a dramatic return to Ibrox but the veteran keeper couldn't stop Rangers from suffering Euro heartache.
The veteran goalie was back between the sticks in place of the injured Jon McLaughlin and saved TWO penalties - the second of which was a retaken effort - before Napoli netted a third from the spot and added late second and third goals to earn their second successive Group A win and make a hat-trick of defeats on the spin for the Light Blues in all competitions.
But, despite conceding three goals, this loss was very different from the previous two as Giovanni van Bronckhorst got the kind of performance he was desperately looking on a hugely eventful night.
The drama and turning point came 10 minutes into the second half when James Sands saw red for a foul on Giovanni Simeone inside the box which earned him a second booking. Recalled McGregor saved Piotr Zielinski's resulting spot kick only for Matteo Politano to steer home the rebound.
However, referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz ordered a retake after Politano had entered the box before the kick was taken. Incredibly, McGregor saved AGAIN from Zielinski as Ibrox erupted.
But unbelievably McGregor had to face a THIRD penalty after a handball by Borna Barisic and this time the veteran keeper was beaten - but only just - as Politano tucked the ball into the bottom corner and substitute Giacomo Raspadori and Tanguy Ndombele netted late on to make sure of the win.
It was the third game in a row Gers failed to score and proof that their luck really is down came in injury time when they were awarded a penalty for handball - only for VAR to overturn it.
Van Bronckhorst made five changes from the side that started the 4-0 thumping in Amsterdam with Alfredo Morelos coming in for his first start of the season. McGregor and Steven Davis were both in having been in the line-up the last time Rangers played a home Champions League group stage game - against Manchester United 12 years ago.
If the Light Blues are low in confidence after successive four-goal trouncing then it certainly didn’t show early on and Morelos - on his first start since March - could have nodded them ahead inside a minute when James Tavernier picked him out but the Colombian headed wide.
The Italians were under the cosh and Scott Arfield had the crowd on their feet again but Alex Meret pulling of a superb one-handed save to deny the veteran. It as a rapid, aggressive start that must have had fans wondering where this attitude has been in the last two games.
The goalkeeping situation has been a huge talking point since the start of the season but McGregor reminded everyone what he has to offer with a brilliant save to deny Simeone after a slick Napoli move.
Morelos was booked for going in late on Meret as he challenged for a brilliant Borna Barisic cross but the Colombian showed what they have been missing in his absence as he proved a real handful for the Napoli defence.
After the restart, Scott Arfield had a chance from Tavernier's knockdown but shot wide while McGregor pushed away boy wonder Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's effort at the other end.
Then came that dramatic 13-minute spell with the penalties sandwiching the disallowed goal before the visitors did in fact take the lead with Barisic unlucky as he could do little to prevent Kvaratskhelia's hitting his hand.
It was always going to be an uphill battle after that with a man disadvantage and Raspadori, on as a substitute, struck a second goal for the Italians, rounding off a good move to fire beyond McGregor, before Ndombele added a bit of gloss to the result with a third.
Here’s 5 talking points from Ibrox Stadium
Where has this Rangers been hiding?
The Ibrox side showed a great intensity right from the off and supporters - and even manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst - must have been asking themselves where this aggression and attitude was in the heavy defeats to Celtic and Ajax. If the players had shown this kind of commitment and effort then they almost certainly wouldn’t have lost 4-0 on both occasions and even if they did then fans might have been able to accept it a bit more.
McGregor surely back for keeps
It was incredible stuff from veteran Allan McGregor who came in for the injured Jon McLaughlin and must be set to keep his place. His two penalty saves apart, the 40-year-old offered a reminder of his presence between the sticks with some big stops at key moments before it was third time lucky for Napoli from the spot.
Out with the new and in with the old
Was Giovanni van Bronckhorst trying to make a point with his starting XI? Or did he just feel it was the best line up to get something from the game. Either way, the fact there wasn’t a single summer signing on the team sheet certainly raised plenty of eyebrows around Ibrox Stadium and was a pretty damning indictment of the recruitment. Allan McGregor and Steven Davis started the club’s last home Champions League group stage game 12 years ago and were in again here.
Terrific tribute
UEFA might have something to say about the capacity crowd belting out God Save the King after the national anthem ban from European football’s governing body. But Rangers went all out to pay tribute to The Queen with a huge tifo in the Broomloan Road stand with a silhouette of Her Majesty on the Union Flag.
Who’s up for a Battle of Britain?
European club football now takes a break as the Nations League takes centre stage but there is the small matter of a double header with Liverpool for Rangers to look forward to after that. It’s a mouthwatering prospect with a trip to Anfield to face Jurgen Klopp’s English giants on October 4 before the return at Ibrox the following week.
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