Rangers: ‘Perfect’ Tom Lawrence wows BBC Sportsound pundit v Benfica
Tom Lawrence wowed Steven Thompson as Rangers took the lead in their 2-2 Europa League knockout draw with Benfica in Lisbon on Thursday 7 March.
The BBC pundit praised the timing of the late run into the opposition box as Lawrence put the Ibrox club 1-0 up after just seven minutes with a header.
It was a perfect start for Rangers despite coming under some early pressure as the goal allowed them to settle and get into their rhythm on what proved to be a hotly-contested night in Lisbon.
Speaking live on BBC Sportsound [7 March, 20:09], Thompson shared: “Tom Lawrence arriving in the box, perfect timing.
“He’s still got a bit to do, the header is around the penalty spot but he gets down, away from the keeper and into the corner.”
Philippe Clement proved right as Tom Lawrence scored for Rangers
The initial reaction as the Rangers starting XI was confirmed ahead of the game was that Clement had chosen a very attack-minded lineup given the strength of their opponents, but his choice paid off within ten minutes of kick-off.
Barry Ferguson was impressed by Lawrence after his performance in which he scored what proved to be the winning goal during the 2-1 win over Kilmarnock, and his form has continued again in Lisbon.
The difficulty of the trip to face Benfica was summed up after the Opta supercomputer named Rangers as the second-least likely team to win the Europa League this season, but the early goal from Lawrence set them up nicely and gave them something to hold on to.
If the midfielder can keep up his strong form of late he could be a crucial player in the closing stages of this season, with Clement’s side looking to compete both in Europe and domestically amid a tense SPFL title race.
In other Rangers news, Chris Jack shared an update on Abdallah Sima’s future.
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