Veteran Benfica star Nicolas Otamendi admits they are suffering from a crisis of confidence ahead of their Europa League trip to Glasgow after Rangers dug out an impressive draw.

And he's demanded they find a way to get out of their 'sh***y situation.'

Philippe Clement's men are level going into the Round of 16 second leg next week after twice being pegged back in a pulsating 2-2 draw.

Benfica fans are unhappy with their team after successive defeats to Sporting Lisbon in the Portuguese Cup and a humbling 5-0 walloping from Porto.

And 36-year-old World Cup winner Otamendi admitted their recent results had an impact on their lacklustre showing against the Premiership leaders.

He said: "Yes, we are going through a phase where opponents get into the box and score goals against us.

"We were doing well against Rangers and then they scored with their first attack.

"And when we equalised, they immediately scored a second goal. It cost us.

"We have to be more positive, believe in ourselves, try to improve and cut out the mistakes.

READ MORE: Rangers & Celtic Champions League state of play amid coefficient latest

"At the moment, the confidence levels aren't as high as they should be because of results.

"But the important thing is the unity of the group, being positive and looking forward.

"We have to get out of this sh***y situation that we are unfortunately in.

"The fans are always there for us and it's up to us to get back to winning ways for them.

"We have 90 minutes in Glasgow to try to qualify. We weren't able to take a lead to Scotland, but we will do our best to advance to the next stage."

Meanwhile, Scotland's automatic path into the Champions League was handed a potential boost after the latest round of European fixtures last night.

Scotland sits just inside UEFA's top 10 when it comes to the governing body's coefficient ranking table. Retaining this place is imperative when securing automatic passage for the champions of Scotland into the Champions League.