Rangers will resume their Europa League crusade with a match against Benfica, whose first leg is scheduled for Thursday.
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Benfica and Rangers were looking to advance to the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 with a home win. Neither of them succeeded.
Rangers prepared for this in Lisbon with a 2-1 defeat at home to Motherwell. The disappointing defeat snapped a nine-game winning streak in the Scottish Premiership.
The defeat was not too expensive for Philippe Clement’s team, as Celtic lost 2-0 to Heart of Midlothian. But that means their lead at the top of the table is just two points.
Things were even worse for Benfica. They were also in form, managing 28 draws from the last 30 in the Primeira Liga.
That was before their visit to Estadio do Dragao on Sunday. Benfica were humiliated by Porto, suffering a 5-0 thrashing that caused them to lose first place.
Sporting CP, their rivals from the Portuguese capital, are now the most sensible in the table, while they also have a game in hand against Benfica.
The two coaches, Rangers’ Clement and Benfica’s Roger Schmidt, will need their teams to remove those adverse effects from their formula as temporarily as possible.
It will be more for Rangers than Benfica, but this is compensated by the fact that the latter has home advantage.
They’ll probably have to make the most of it as well. Ibrox continues to be an excellent position for travelling teams in European competition. Benfica will need to get there for next week’s second leg with solid overall merit.
Rangers, on the other hand, will likely settle for a draw in Lisbon. That would make them the favourites to go through, despite the quality of Benfica’s ranks.
Benfica’s preparation for this match is far from ideal and Rangers will be looking to take advantage of that.
Rangers came very close to winning this tournament in 2022, when they lost the final by consequences to Eintracht Frankfurt. Clément will try to do better this time.
His predecessor, Michael Beale, thrashed Real Betis 1-0 on matchday one of the knockout stages.
With two wins and two draws, Clement brilliantly controlled Rangers to the top position ahead of the Spaniards and Sparta Prague.
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They are now preparing to face another big-name European team, even if they underperformed in the Champions League organising phase. Benfica have managed only four goals out of the 18 imaginable against Inter, Real Sociedad and Red Bull Salzburg.
Benfica’s effects have been positive overall since the turn of the year, although it should be noted that they have been beaten by Porto and Sporting CP, the other two members of Portugal’s “big three”. This will give Rangers some hope, but it will also give them. It will be difficult to avoid defeat at the Estadio da Luz.
It is shaping up to be a close game. With a second leg still ahead, it is unlikely to be a start-to-finish encounter.
The away goals rule is no longer in place in European competitions, a resolution that continues to divide opinion. His elimination likely deters the Rangers from looking to score on Thursday.
But Clement’s team is still more than capable of causing disorder for Benfica here. The Rangers are a straightforward team, with an emphasis on passing the ball quickly. They play much wider than when Beale was in charge.
This brings them good luck against an opponent who will hope to dominate the property at home.
However, keeping a blank sheet will be a big task: Benfica have drawn in any of their last 15 home games.
All things considered, scoring goals on both sides is a sensible choice given the odds available.
Most aging superstars leave for Saudi Arabia or the United States at the end of their careers at the level.
Angel Di Maria may still do so, of course, but last summer he chose the romantic option and joined Benfica, the club he represented as a young star between 2007 and 2010.
Di Maria has proven his enduring elegance this season. The 36-year-old has scored 14 goals in 35 games, a formidable aggregate for someone who is even a true striker.
That aggregate includes two results against Toulouse in the first leg of Benfica’s round of 16.
The fact that Di Maria is his team’s designated shooter makes this award even more enjoyable ahead of the Rangers’ visit.
Greg Lea is an independent footballer from London. He basically covers the Premier League and has published paintings in The Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on Twitter@GregLeaFootball
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