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Rangers coach Steven Gerrard warns that Benfica will “suffer” after its failure in the Champions League and will seek to withdraw from his side.
The two will face off in the Europa League on Thursday night, with six issues from their first two games.
Benfica brought back Jorge Jesus del Flamengo this summer and spent a lot of cash to have an effect in Europe, but suffered a surprise when they left the Champions League for PAOK.
And the Rangers boss expects them to pull out all the weapons so they can win the second-tier competition.
Gerrard said, “We’re coming with confidence, we’re seasoning very well. “
“Most of the team is available, fit, well and in a position to play, so we’re well placed.
“But we have great respect for Benfica, it has talented players in the team who are worth a lot of money.
“They have a lot of fun at European festivals and I’m sure they’re still suffering a little bit for not qualifying for the Champions League.
“I’m sure you’re going to need to react to that and go all the way in this competition.
“You can see why they’re one of the favorites.
“It’s a big challenge, a big demand, but we have to do our best. “
Rangers remained undefeated in four games against Porto and Braga last season and Gerrard proved they would gain advantages from that.
He explained: “We can take advantage of this delight and try to use it to gain confidence and use it as confidence in tomorrow’s game.
“But it’s another challenge, another team. Benfica is the most powerful in terms of Portuguese groups this season.
“It’s a huge challenge, but we’ll have to check to locate a feature that’s at the point of Porto and Braga if we have any chance. “