Serie A serial strugglers Benevento break 87-year Manchester United record… with 13th straight league loss to start season
Minnows suffered heartbreak on Sunday after conceding in the 94th-minute at home to Sassuolo with a draw on the cards
SERIE A serial strugglers Benevento have broken an 87-year record held by Manchester United... after suffering their 13th straight league loss.
The Italian top-flight debutants had already equalled United's record - after the Old Trafford side lost their opening 12 First Division matches in the 1930-31 season.
Now, they hold the record outright - based on clubs in the Big Five European leagues - and STILL sit on zero points in Serie A this term.
The unlucky No13 couldn't have come in worse fashion either on their home ground on Sunday.
Taking on fellow relegation-battlers Sassuolo, Benevento went 1-0 down after 57 minutes thanks to an Alessandro Matri strike.
However, home fans were finally given something to cheer just eight minutes later, as Samuel Armenteros levelled.
Disaster struck just two minutes down the line, as right-back Gaetano Letizia was sent-off for a second bookable offence.
Playing the last half an hour with just ten men the point-less Italian side battled hard to within touching distance of an invaluable point.
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After Domenico Berardi missed a late penalty, Benevento must have surely believed the draw was theirs for the taking.
However, heartbreak struck in the form of Sassuolo star Federico Peluso - who netted in the 94th-minute of the game to consign them to yet another defeat.
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Benevento had already broken the record for worst start to an Italian top-flight season - which stood at nine games, set by Venezia in 1949-50.
Now they look all-but certain to head straight back down to Serie B after another heartbreaking defeat.
History too would suggest Benevento are goners... after all, United were relegated from the First Division in 1930-31.
The English giants picked up just seven wins from their 42 games that season - as well as tasting defeat 27 times - to finish dead-last.
