Rangers lost a two-goal lead in the second half to draw Benfica 2-2 in Ibrox, but are still in a good position to advance to Group D of the Europa League.
Rangers had to beat Benfica and hope Lech Poznan lost to Standard Liege to progress, and Scott Arfield got off to a perfect start for Steven Gerrard’s side, finishing a 10-yard rebound after Kemar Roofe hit a header and that James Tavernier hit. the cross member (7).
Rangers absorbed the pressure from Benfica perfectly and chose their moments to attack; Roofe added a brilliant second, hitting the top corner of the edge of the area after spending most of the game living saving and trying to keep the ball high (69).
But the hosts collapsed in three minutes when a homeward goal from Tavernier (77) and a crushing goal from Pizzi (81) put Benfica up there, their first two attempts on goal.
However, Standard Liège’s 2-1 win over Lech Poznan means Rangers still control the Group D standings, placing first and five points ahead of Poznan in third with two games to go. .
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How the Rangers fell apart in three minutes of the second half
Rangers imagined their chances against an exhausted Benfica, who missed eight first-team players due to a combination of Covid-19, injury and suspension, and took the lead in just the seventh minute.
After Roofe’s header was well saved by Helton Leite, Tavernier jumped in for the rebound, only to see his own header hit the crossbar, but Arfield was available to hit the second rebound.
Scott Arfield celebrates after opening the scoring for Rangers
The Rangers’ game plan in this regard was clear and effective; Roofe and Alfredo Morelos held the ball perfectly, while Ryan Kent did the dirty work without the ball as a solid blue wall limited Benfica to half the chances in the first half.
Rafa Silva moved closer, brilliantly transforming Leon Balogun in the box, but his effort at an acute angle was well blocked by the recovering Rangers defender.
Rangers were perfectly successful in holding back Benfica, who waited 78 minutes for their first shot on goal, and the hosts thought they should have had a penalty when Jan Vertonghen handled a Roofe cross, but there was no of VAR to review the cry. .
“It’s a penalty,” Gerrard said. BT sport after the game. “You have to watch him because I can see him and I’m further away from the referee. It’s a clear penalty for everyone to see.
Roofe scores a beauty to wear it 2-0
It seemed that decision didn’t matter, as Roofe’s gently battered 20-yard effort flew past Leite and into the upper left corner to put the Rangers in full control.
But as they did in Lisbon, the Rangers collapsed. First, with his first shot on goal, substitute Goncalo Ramos landed a shot on Luca Waldschmidt’s goal, before the ball hit Allan McGregor and then Tavernier before falling on the line.
Morelos’ long-distance effort was saved by Leita before buckling and hitting the bar, but at the other end substitute Pizzi equalized Benfica with a more legible effort, finding the top right corner 15 yards when the Rangers couldn’t clear. .
Goncalo Ramos of Benfica celebrates his team by scoring a goal
But in Belgium, Standard de Liège softened Rangers’ blow with an ultimate win over Lech Poznan, meaning Rangers can advance to next week with a win over Liege, or a draw if Poznan doesn’t beat Benfica. .
Gerrard: I can’t ask for more
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard on BT Sport:
“Obviously I’m frustrated when you take a 2-0 lead and you don’t win the game, but we play a superior team and we shouldn’t be here, they should be in the Champions League. They will be disappointed to be in the Europa League, they have spent a lot this summer.
Rangers coach Steven Gerrard hits Alfredo Morelos with his fist after the game
They exhaust you, find areas where you are tired, and charge you. We would have taken two points before a ball was kicked against this team, so I’m proud of the players. I can’t ask for more of my players in the two games.
“I think it was a result just once the emotion took hold on both sides.”
Go for statistics
- Rangers have never lost a home game in the UEFA Europa League group stage (P8 W4 D4).
- Benfica are unbeaten in their last five Europa League games (2 wins and 3 draws), despite having scored at least two goals in each of those outings (15 in total).
- Rangers have found the back of the net in 13 of their last 14 Europa League games and only managed to score against Bayer 04 Leverkusen until August 2020.
- Two of the four goals against his Rangers side in the Europa League were scored against Benfica (Tavernier and Goldson).
- Rangers’ Scott Arfield scored his first Europa League goal since his competitive debut in September 2018 against Villarreal, his first goal in 18 competitive appearances.
Next?
Rangers now head to Falkirk in the Scottish League Cup on Sunday at 5 p.m., before hosting Standard Liege in the Europa League on Thursday, December 3 at 8 p.m.
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