Benfica defeated Philippe Clement’s team, but West Ham cruised to victory.
Rangers were eliminated from the Europa League after conceding the sole goal against Benfica at Ibrox and losing 3-2 on aggregate. Philippe Clement’s team was caught on the counter-attack in the 66th minute by a simple forward ball, and Rafa Silva’s goal stood after a VAR review after being initially ruled out for offside.

Rangers had twice seized the lead in Lisbon last week, but a penalty and an own goal lost them victory in the first leg, and they were unable to capitalize on multiple opportunities in a closer match in Glasgow. Rangers fans in the Broomloan Stand put on a spectacular pre-match exhibition, demonstrating that their sights were set on the final in Dublin on May 22nd, ahead of the second leg of the last 16. However, the club’s run to the 2022 final will not be repeated, and the Premiership leaders must now focus on what might still be a very successful domestic season, with a triple a real possibility. Benfica enjoyed some early control, but Rangers had the first serious chance when Tom Lawrence linked up with Fabio Silva and blasted a shot that Anatoliy Trubin let through his legs. The visiting goalie was fortunate to see the ball drift wide after it struck his leg. Lawrence quickly got another opportunity when James Tavernier’s excellent low corner allowed him an open shot at goal from 15 yards out, but he failed to connect properly. In the treacherous circumstances, Jack Butland demonstrated good hands by holding Alexander Bah’s long-range stroke. The vast majority of the 50,000 fans, including Benfica fans, paid respect in the 25th minute to teenage Rangers fan Thomas McAllister, who died while in Lisbon for the first leg. The first half continued in a more cagey manner than the 2-2 tie in Portugal. Rangers’ center defender John Souttar was impressive, and his cross nearly landed for Cyriel Dessers before Scott Wright stumbled while shooting from 22 yards, causing the ball to soar over. Rangers repelled a serious Benfica raid after John Lundstram misplaced a pass inside his own half. Before the halftime, the home team had a terrific counter-attack opportunity thanks to Wright’s work, but Lawrence took the wrong choice and put in an offside Dessers. Dessers did had a chance early in the second half, after Wright got by two opponents and played the striker in. The forward might have gone for the goal right away, but he took a touch and his effort drifted just wide of the far corner. The home side kept up the pressure, but Benfica created a golden chance for Casper Tengstedt after a quick break. The replacement fired a direct shot at Butland from 12 yards. Rangers were once again exposed to a counter-attack as Benfica took the lead for the first time in the match. Angel Di Maria headed a ball over the top, and Rafa Silva sprinted clear before slotting home. The offside flag was raised, but a long VAR review determined that the goalscorer was just within his own half when the ball was put in, and the goal was awarded. Rangers’ attempts to get back into the game were hampered by surface wetness on the pitch, which slowed the ball on a day of constant rain in Glasgow, and Butland saved superbly from Bah as Benfica attempted to seal the tie. Lundstram had an effort on goal in the closing moments, but Trubin stopped well, and Rangers’ hopes were dashed when substitute Todd Cantwell stabbed wide in stoppage time. In other news, David Moyes threw West Ham’s handbrake off and saw them surge into the Europa League’s final eight with a 5-0 victory over Freiburg. Moyes, the Hammers’ manager, surprisingly chose an offensive lineup in an attempt to heal the damage from last week’s 1-0 first-leg setback in Germany. He was rewarded with a magnificent performance, with goals from Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen, Aaron Cresswell, and two from Mohammed Kudus — including a sensational solo effort — securing a 5-1 aggregate triumph and a third consecutive European quarter-final appearance. As a result, the Hammers may have done some of their Premier League rivals a favour by moving England ahead of Germany in Uefa’s coefficient rankings, perhaps earning an additional slot in Europe next season. Despite their poor domestic record, West Ham – last season’s Europa Conference League champions — appear to come alive on these European nights. Two years ago, at the same level of the competition, they famously overcame a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Spanish Europa League stalwarts Sevilla. There were concerns that the electrifying atmosphere would be difficult to replicate, with many fans unable to attend due to the unusual 5.45pm kick-off hour. But the London Stadium was still nearly full, and it erupted after just nine minutes, as Freiburg’s lead was wiped out. Cresswell swung in a third consecutive corner, Tomas Soucek stooped to touch the ball on, and the unmarked Paqueta slipped it home at the far post. West Ham’s second came just after the half-hour mark, when Bowen celebrated his latest call-up to the England squad in style, shrugging off Freiburg captain Christian Gunter’s attention before smashing home from 20 yards. Freiburg remained a threat, however, with Roland Sallai blazing across goal and wide to remind West Ham that the tie was still very much in the balance at halftime. This lasted until six minutes into the second half, when Bowen’s square ball across the box was diverted out to Cresswell, who was waiting on the outskirts of the area. The left-back, who was the fall guy in Frankfurt two years ago when his red card in the semi-final against Eintracht cost West Ham dearly, took a touch before leathering the ball into the far post. The best was yet to come, despite there being little danger when Kudus scooped up the ball deep within his own half. The former Ajax wideman dashed over 70 yards, slicing through the Freiburg defence before gently sliding the ball into the goal. It’s no surprise that Kudus felt compelled to borrow a photographer’s stool and sit in front of the ecstatic home supporters while his colleagues celebrated. The rest had certainly done Kudus good, as he quickly collected Bowen’s lay-off and fired a low drive from 20 yards to cap West Ham’s five-star performance.