The guy that the former Rangers striker replaced is pulling up trees with Europa League rivals Benfica, while Alfredo Morelos returns to scoring goals with Santos.
As the Brazilian giants attempt to recover from their first-ever demotion, 27-year-old Colombian firebrand Morelos has already scored two goals in three games.
However, when Rangers advance to the Ibrox side, they might have to play against the guy Alfredo Morelos is replacing in the shoes of Benfica forward Marcos Leonardo.
The Brazilian striker, who cost over $20 million (£15.7 million) to sign, is already establishing his worth in Portugal as he makes his maiden venture into European competition.
Marcos Leonardo, one of numerous forwards Rangers will have to watch out for, joined Benfica only in January but has already scored four goals for the Liga Portugal leaders.
The Brazilian joins a group of talented attackers at the Estadio de Luz that includes Angel di Maria, Rafa, Joao Mario, Arthur Cabral, David Neres, and Casper Tengstedt.
Rangers’ forward line may have shown off over the weekend, but they won’t be afraid of anyone as they try to advance to the Europa League quarterfinals.
The Ibrox team faces still another obstacle in the form of Marco Leonardo, whose high price and media attention provide an additional advantage.
With a Round of 16 match against Rangers coming up, Leonardo’s performance in Portugal, where he came off the bench in the thrilling 2-1 victory over Toulouse, is his lone one in the Europa League.
Benfica is by no means unbeatable, even though Philippe Clement himself admits that Rangers are the “underdogs” in this Europa League matchup.
Rangers may be feeling confident about their prospects against the Portuguese after losing to Real Sociedad and Inter Milan in a Champions League group.
Ibrox’s run to the 2022 Europa League Final in Seville and their victory over Real Betis will act as encouragement for the team, as Philippe Clement has instilled a never-say-die mentality in the ranks.
Rangers will not be intimidated by Benfica’s visit in this exciting Europa League match, which is anybody’s to call, Marcos Leonardo or not.
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