Rangers: Barry Ferguson shares ‘electric’ Europa League verdict after ‘tasty’ Benfica draw
Rangers players and Philippe Clement will be looking forward to their “tasty” Europa League tie with Benfica in the round of 16 according to Barry Ferguson.
The Light Blues will face the Portuguese giants across two legs in March, the first of which will be played at The Estadio da Luz before the Gers welcome Benfica to Ibrox as they look to book their place in the quarter-finals.
While Ferguson admits that Benfica are a “high quality” side, he thinks Clement’s side will be excited by the clash as they need to beat some of Europe’s best sides to progress through this competition.
Speaking on The Go Radio Football Show (23 February, 5:35) he said: “It’s a tasty draw no doubt. They’re sitting top of the Portuguese league and if you look at that league you’ve got Porto, you’ve got Sporting Lisbon, you’ve got Braga, some really decent teams.
“That tells you that Benfica are high quality, but when you get into the latter stages of the Europa League, you expect to come up against some of the better teams and that’s what Rangers have got.
“Listen, it’s a draw that as a footballer you look forward to. It’s a brilliant stadium, the atmosphere will be electric so I’m sure it’s one they’re certainly looking forward to.”
Can Rangers beat Benfica in the Europa League?
As Ferguson suggested, to go far in the Europa League, Rangers will have to beat some of Europe’s best teams and while Benfica aren’t on the same level as a side like Liverpool, they will represent a tough test for the Gers.
But the Light Blues have shown that they can go toe-to-toe with these sorts of teams. Although Celtic have had the better of them domestically, Rangers pulled off a European upset to beat Real Betis in the Europa League group stages.
If Clement’s side plays anywhere near that level against Benfica, they will give themselves an excellent chance of booking their place in the round of 16, they just have to make sure that they turn up on the night.
Hopefully, Rangers will enjoy their “tasty” draw and thrive off of the electric atmosphere to keep their quadruple dream alive and continue fighting on all fronts.
In other Rangers news, Clement has shared an update on Todd Cantwell and Kemar Roofe’s fitness ahead of the clash with Hearts
For more Rangers news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.