Looking to make a huge move into the quarterfinals, Philippe Clement and his troops are in the capital of Portugal.
Rangers are going back to the Europa League, and what a fantastic experience it will be in Lisbon.
With a remarkable start to his career as the Ibrox dugout’s manager, Philippe Clement’s most memorable Europa League performance came in a 3-2 victory over Real Betis in Seville, which secured first place in the group and set up this tantalising matchup with Benfica. The Ibrox men lost to Motherwell at home last Saturday, which was shocking, but it went unpunished because Celtic lost at Hearts, and the fallout from the VAR dispute is still being felt.
But in an effort to make even more incredible memories in this competition, Rangers has set aside its pursuit of the Scottish Premiership title. Not too long ago, the Light Blues made it all the way to the championship game, defeating teams like RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund along route, only to lose heartbreakingly to Eintracht Frankfurt in the penalty shootout. However, the players and fans will never forget that run as they attempt to repeat the feat beginning at the Estadio da Luz.
The crowds will be hoping for a win heading into next week’s return matchup between the two teams in Govan, and Ibrox will be rocking. Here are Record Sport’s writers’ thoughts on the first 90 minutes in Portugal as they provide their bold predictions for the evening’s events.
Jackson Keith
If Rangers had played at full strength, they would have faced a formidable opponent in Lisbon; nevertheless, the absence of so many of his most inventive attacking options has weakened Philippe Clement’s hand. However, Benfica has been playing more poorly lately and will face intense criticism from their own supporters. The Belgian manager could still be able to steal a point away from home and send the tie back to Ibrox.
Rangers 2 – Benfica 2
Michael Garner
Even if Benfica is struggling right now, they are still quite dangerous. Rangers may be better off playing in an open match and returning to Glasgow with a victory.
Rangers 2 – Benfica 2
Berry Gavin
The Portuguese team’s rout of Porto over the weekend provided context for the Ibrox team’s own poor loss to Motherwell. With manager Roger Schmidt under intense pressure and the Lisbon giants seemingly going through a true crisis, Rangers have a real opportunity to take advantage of this.
However, the fact that Benfica has never lost a home Europa League match cannot be disregarded. A draw would be a fantastic outcome, but it might be too much to expect for Gers to put an end to that.
Rangers 1 Benfica 1
Burns Scott
Rangers should be able to go into the second leg at Ibrox with a strong result from Lisbon. They could need another strong performance from Jack Butland, but I think they can win there.
Rangers 1 Benfica 1
Andy Newport
This appears to be a meeting between a stoppable force and a clearly moving object, with injuries drastically limiting Philippe Clement’s attacking options and undermining Roger Schmidt’s Benfica back line. Rangers, though, ought to feel confident enough in them after their recent success to secure a respectable outcome to bring back to Ibrox.
Rangers 1 Benfica 1
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