Rangers have been eliminated from the Europa League after a 1-0 defeat at home to Benfica. A Rafa Silva strike midway through the second half was all that separated the sides as the Portuguese giants emerged victorious 3-2 on aggregate.

Boss Philippe Clement had insisted that his side were still the underdogs to progress to the last eight despite returning from Lisbon with a 2-2 draw last week. Rangers were right to fancy their chances at a capacity Ibrox but it turned into a frustrating and ultimately disappointing evening.

Setbacks have been rare for Clement during his tenure and losing to a side of Benfica’s quality and financial resources carries no sense of shame for Rangers. All attentions are now fixed on the Premiership fixture with Dundee on Sunday as the league leaders look to maintain their title push heading into the international break.

Missed chances and a missed opportunity

Rangers had the best moments of the first half but didn’t have the quality to finish them off. At the other end, Benfica looked bright on the counter-attack but never caused Jack Butland any problems. Both sides had the right intentions and it made for an entertaining affair. At the break, the sense of importance surrounding the opening goal had only increased. Tom Lawrence saw his early effort blocked after combining well with Fabio Silva down the right channel. Scott Wright – who had spurned a couple of potential openings with a tame cross and a wasteful pass towards Cyriel Dessers – fired over from distance. The winger did well to burst forward and find Lawrence but the Dessers was offside when he received the ball at the end of a move that almost encapsulated the so near yet so far nature of the opening 45 minutes for Clement’s side. Dessers and Mohamed Diomande both came close after the restart. When Benfica put the ball in the net, a VAR check couldn’t save Rangers. The move was incisive from a Benfica perspective and Rafa Silva rounded it off with a composed finish to beat Butland. Clement will surely ask questions about the defending, though, as Rangers conceded from their own corner. The closing stages were desperate after Todd Cantwell, Rabbi Matondo and Kemar Roofe had been introduced. The hero that Rangers needed never stepped forward. Clement cajoled his players but was left to commiserate with them. The dream was over.

Chris Jack

Rangers Review:

Ibrox can’t inspire Rangers to victory

Clement believed Rangers could have sold out Ibrox two or three times over for this fixture. He needed a big performance from the players and the punters. It could be said that neither truly delivered on what could have been a historic night at Ibrox. An impressive display from the Union Bears set the stage as the pulley system in the Broomloan Stand was used to hoist a bus – with the destination Dublin – along a road that marked Rangers’ stops in this competition in recent months. A banner of ‘If they go to Dublin’ accompanied it and the sight of the Europa League branding brought back magical memories for those in the stands. On a more poignant note, tributes were paid to Thomas McAllister with two banners – one at each end of the stadium – and an applause in the 25th minute as Rangers remembered one of their own who tragically didn’t make it home from Lisbon. The decibel levels ebbed and flowed with the action. The noise from the corner of the Broomloan was constant but Ibrox only found its voice as a whole when Rangers were on the front foot. It was stunned when Benfica scored. The defiant roar in the aftermath was needed but hope soon faded and frustration crept in as the clock ticked on. In the away end, the travelling Portuguese punters were enjoying themselves despite the deluge of rain.

Chris Jack

Rangers lack the final third individuals 

Benfica’s quality was again ovbious by way of a quick glance at their team sheet. That said, it was Rangers who controlled more of the first half while struggling to really seize a game that was there to be taken. Of course, Clement’s men had to always be wary of the threat Benfica posed and that limited the width Tavernier and Ridvan could offer. With the visiting side largely resisting any form of high pressure there was limited space for Rangers to transition into while Antonio Silva dominated any passes attempted over the top without all that much to face in terms of pace. Wright picked up a few clever positions but lacked end product. While there was no shame in the game being tied, it was hard to shake the feeling that Rangers were a Cortes, Sima or other attacker away from properly capitalising. That extended into the second period. Benfica asked Rangers the question ‘can you break us down’ with their shape and set-up. Clement simply lacked the individuals in the final third to impact proceedings and ultimately it was from a Rangers corner Benfica would break away to score the decider. While there is no shame in defeat against a far better-resourced side, with only the smallest of offside margins deciding the tie. this game will carry a sense of what if.

Joshua Barrie

Rangers Review:

A step too far or a missed opportunity?

Few will have left Ibrox tonight marvelling at having witnessed a great European side in Benfica and, especially after how well Rangers played in Lisbon, that will frustrate Clement. However, there’s also a reality to the options he can pick from. There’s only been one change to the starting 11 during three testing games this past week, Scott Wright coming in for Dujon Sterling today. Sunday was the first time Clement, normally a perennial rotator of his starting 11, has played the same team in successive matches. His team’s pace of play tonight, often holding the ball around the back, was impacted by factors previously outlined. There wasn’t a successful route to play in behind given Silva’s dominance, nor passage around the block due to a lack of wingers available. All of this alongside natural fatigue nobody can blame Rangers for carrying combined to a lower octave of Thursday night than has been seen in recent years. Clement has squeezed more than the sum of its parts of this squad to date - tonight proved one step too far.

Joshua Barrie