Rangers vs Benfica Match Analysis & Prediction


14/03/2024 8:45 pm


One week on from their thrilling 2-2 first-leg draw in Lisbon, Rangers welcome Benfica to Ibrox Stadium for the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday night.
After the Gers were pegged back twice by their Portuguese conterparts, the tie is finely poised as both clubs eye a spot in the quarter-finals.
Benfica certainly had their work cut out in the first leg to preserve their impressive unbeaten home run in the Europa League, stretching across 27 matches, as they came up against a spirited Rangers side who took an early lead through Tom Lawrence’s header.
The Eagles were then controversially awarded a penalty, which Angel Di Maria dispatched, after John Souttar was penalised for heading the ball against his own arm.
Dujon Sterling put Rangers back ahead on the stroke of halftime, but Benfica were gifted an equaliser midway through the second half when Connor Goldson nodded the ball into his own net.
Rangers followed up their draw in Lisbon with a surprising 2-1 home defeat to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership, but they have since returned to winning ways after beating nine-man Hibernian 2-0 in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals on Sunday, through goals from John Lundstram and Fabio Silva.
Benfica will have taken positives from their fightback against Rangers in the first leg considering they had lost their previous two domestic games by an aggregate score of 7-1 against Sporting Lisbon and Porto.
The Eagles have since bounced back from a three-game winless run after beating Estoril 3-1 at home last weekend, with goals from Orkun Kokcu, Marcos Leonardo and Tiago Gouveia helping Benfica move ti within a point of leaders Sporting with nine matches remaining.
Reaching a third successive European quarter-final would help Roger Schmidt’s cause, and Benfica have reason to be optimistic of success on Thursday as they have won all of their previous five appearances in the last 16 of the Europa League on aggregate, while they have lost just four of their last 22 European games on the road.
Rangers vs. Benfica Head to head
These two teams have only previously met on three occasions, playing out draws in all.
-
05/11/2020Benfica3Rangers3Europa League
-
26/11/2020Rangers2Benfica2Europa League
-
07/03/2024Benfica2Rangers2Europa League
-
14/03/2024N/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
-
14/03/2024RangersN/ABenficaN/AEuropa League
Rangers Team News
Rangers duo Sterling and Ross McCausland both sustained knocks against Hibernian last weekend and have emerged as major doubts for Thursday.
Ryan Jack, Todd Cantwell, Danilo, Adballah Sima, Kieran Dowell, Scott Wright, Oscar Cortes and Alex Lowry all remain in a packed treatment room.
Rangers's Last 5 Matches
-
24/02/2024Rangers5Hearts0Premiership
-
28/02/2024Kilmarnock1Rangers2Premiership
-
02/03/2024Rangers1Motherwell2Premiership
-
07/03/2024Benfica2Rangers2Europa League
-
10/03/2024Hibernian0Rangers2FA Cup
Benfica Team News
Benfica only have one injury absentee in left-back Juan Bernat, who has been sidelined since October with a muscle problem.
Neves, Di Maria and Rafa Silva were all rested at the weekend and are set to be recalled on Thursday, while Schmidt could be tempted to start January signing Leonardo.
Benfica's Last 5 Matches
-
25/02/2024Benfica4Portimonense0Primeira Liga
-
29/02/2024Sporting Lisbon2Benfica1Taca de Portugal
-
03/03/2024Porto5Benfica0Primeira Liga
-
07/03/2024Benfica2Rangers2Europa League
-
10/03/2024Benfica3Estoril1Primeira Liga
Rangers vs. Benfica: Odds and Predictions
Main Prediction
Double Chance: Benfica or X
Best Odds
1000% Super Multi Bonus
Up to 10 times (1000%) larger winnings on bets placed during Happy Hour
CLAIM BONUS