March 14, (THEWILL)- Rangers’ aspirations for UEFA Europa League glory were extinguished on Thursday night as Benfica earned a narrow 1-0 victory at Ibrox to advance 3-2 on aggregate. The Gers, fueled by dreams of a Dublin final, were ultimately undone by a solitary Rafa Silva goal in the second half.
Despite a dominant start, Rangers could not convert their early pressure to goals. Tom Lawrence and Scott Wright both threatened, while Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin was fortunate to see a Lawrence effort squirm wide.
Nigerian guesses Cyriel Dessers also came close, latching onto a Wright pass but seeing his shot deflect just wide. The first half remained tense, with John Souttar marshalling the Rangers defence impressively.
The second half mirrored the first, with Rangers maintaining attacking intent. However, a lapse in concentration proved fatal. A long ball from Angel Di Maria found Rafa Silva in behind, and the Portuguese forward coolly slotted home the winner. A lengthy VAR check confirmed he was onside, leaving Rangers with a significant deficit to overcome.
The slick Ibrox surface, further slickened by relentless Glasgow rain, hampered Rangers’ attacking play in their search for an equaliser. Jack Butland made a crucial late save from Alexander Bah, but substitute Todd Cantwell’s stoppage-time effort flew wide as the tie slipped away.
Rangers must now shift their focus to domestic competitions, where a treble remains a tantalising prospect. However, tonight’s defeat will sting, especially considering their impressive run to the 2022 Europa League final.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
