Journalist Stephen McGowan claims that Benfica is “riddled with weaknesses” ahead of their Europa League round of 16 matchup with Rangers. The first leg of the match is scheduled to take place in Portugal on Thursday, March 7.
“Despite a turnover of £167 million – almost exactly double the Rangers figure of £84 million – Benfica are a team riddled with weaknesses,” McGowan wrote for the Scottish Daily Mail (page 69, 6 March). “In recent seasons, the Ibrox side have exploited the turmoil of European opponents and a weekend defeat to Porto has placed coach Roger Schmidt under severe pressure.” The return leg is set for Ibrox on March 14 with Rangers qualifying for the knockout stages after topping their group.
The Portuguese champions have not impressed in Europe, even though they have brought in Argentine World Cup winner Angel Di Maria for a second stint and have two exceptional players in 20-year-old Portuguese international central defender Antonio Silva and 19-year-old midfielder Joao Neves.
Benfica has undoubtedly had a difficult season in Europe, but they still have a chance to win something because to their tenacity and strong team.
The Champions League trophy will obviously disappoint them, but the Europa League trophy would still represent a tremendous accomplishment for the Portuguese team.
But the Gers, who should be quietly confident after winning a difficult Group C, stand in their way.
It appeared for a while that the Ibrox club would not even advance to the following round, but an incredible series of events allowed them to secure the top spot.
However, Philippe Clement’s team enters the match fresh off a heartbreaking 2-1 Scottish Premiership victory at Ibrox on Saturday (2 March) over Motherwell.
Neither team wants to lose in Portugal on Thursday night, especially after Benfica also dropped their match over the weekend.
In other Rangers news, following their performance in the Scottish Youth Cup, the team has a bright future ahead of them.
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