EU AIN’T SEEN NOTHING YET
Gers were heroic in Lisbon but didn’t play well.. Benfica are in for big surprise at Ibrox
IT’S difficult to sum up the admiration I’m feeling for this Rangers team right now, after another astonishing Thursday night in the Europa League.
The performance they put up against Benfica was bordering on heroic – even though, by their standards, Rangers weren’t at their absolute best.
Don’t get me wrong, they played some nice stuff at times and the two goals were superb.
But I thought they looked a bit jaded the longer the game went on and I don’t mean just physically either.
Trust me, when you’re up against opposition of that quality it’s also an exhausting task mentality because you can’t afford to switch off upstairs for a single second.
The concentration levels required against the best in Europe can be a drain because one lapse and you know these guys will hurt you.
So yes, I was a little bit concerned for them, especially in the second half because you could see the tank beginning to empty.
But – and it’s a big but – I loved the way they knuckled down, dug deep and dredged up the spirit and energy required to stay in the fight.
Was this Rangers at their best? Not by a long shot.
And hopefully Benfica’s players have come away from the first leg thinking that’s the best version of Rangers they can come up against.
Because if that’s the case they might be in for a big surprise at Ibrox next week.
I’m trying hard not to get ahead of myself here because first and foremost Rangers have a massive cup tie to face at Easter Road on Sunday.
And I know manager Philippe Clement will be fully focused on that one because he’s still in the hunt for three more trophies and simply won’t allow anyone to take their eye off the ball.
But I also have to be honest. I can hardly wait for next week because the place is going to be bouncing when Benfica turn up for that second leg.
Rangers supporters can’t get enough of these Thursday nights and there’s an energy and adrenalin rush that is almost becoming addictive.
Let’s not underestimate what’s going on here either. Rangers have been landing punches all over Europe for the best part of five years now. This isn’t just a flash in the pan campaign. It’s far from it.
Rangers have raised the bar for Scottish football all across the continent by achieving massive results over a sustained period of time.
I remember under Alex McLeish we faced Feyenoord in the last 16 knowing we were two games from a quarterfinal. It felt like a massive opportunity – maybe even a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
But because of what Rangers have been doing the last few years, reaching the last 16 now feels almost par for the course.
It’s almost expected of them to make a real impact and now here they are, 90 minutes away from another quarter-final.
They deserve enormous credit, especially when you consider the struggles every other Scottish club seems to have in the European arena.
There’s going to be a lot of blood, sweat and tears required for them to make it into the last eight because Benfica are top-notch opponents, even if they have been coming under fire after a couple of bad domestic results. But I enjoyed listening toClement after the game on Thursday when he said he wasn’t happy with just a 2-2 draw.
Yes, he was proud of the players because he knew how deep they had to dig. But he felt there was more to take away from the first leg and that sums up the kind of progress that has been made since his arrival six months ago.
I felt the same. Deep down, I was a wee bit disappointed Rangers didn’t win.
The fact they lost two painful goals probably didn’t help. I mean, if that’s a penalty kick I now have no idea what the rules are any more because, clearly, John Souttar headed the ball onto his own hand.
Not only that but, by doing that, he deflected it towards goal when it would have been going out for a corner and forced his own goalkeeper into a first-class reaction save. On what planet is that given as a penalty for Benfica?
Connor Goldson’s own goal was a bad one. There’s no other way of putting it.
But again, I give Rangers credit for refusing to crumble.
And a special mention for Dujon Sterling who has probably played every position apart from goalie.
His enthusiasm is infectious. His energy levels ridiculous. He doesn’t just cope in whatever position he’s given but excels. As a team-mate, I’d love to have this guy in my dressing room.
Sterling probably won’t want to take Sunday off even though he’d an ice pack on his hamstring after coming off on Thursday.
But I do expect Clement to freshen things up with Ryan Jack, Nicolas Raskin, Ross McCausland and maybe Todd Cantwell back in the picture.
Fingers crossed it’s not too long before Rabbi Matondo, Abdallah Sima, Danilo and Scott Wright are also back.
There are three fronts still to fight on. And the determination and resolve I saw on Thursday tells me Rangers will go toe-to-toe with everyone until the final bell.
Rangers fans can’t get enough of these Thursdays – there’s an energy and adrenalin rush that’s almost addictive