Silva strikes winner to leave gung-ho Gers paying the price for risky business

Rangers gambled on a gung-ho approach in their bid to reach the Europa League quarter-finals last night and were made to pay for it by Rafa Silva’s lethal breakaway winner.

Despite their first-leg heroics, there would be no repeat of the Scots’ memorable march to the competition’s final two years ago. Instead, just question marks over their naive tactics.

When Silva (right) put Benfica ahead for the first time across the two ties, for once Rangers could not respond. And it exposed their risky tactic of leaving their defence undermanned at their own corners.

There had been warning signs before Benfica broke clinically upfield after clearing another Rangers corner and Angel Di Maria nodded the ball to Silva on the halfway line. He sprinted away from the trailing defenders and, after checking past Mohamed Diomande, finished clinically past Jack Butland. There was a momentary reprieve as an assistant’s flag ruled

Silva had been offside but VAR showed the forward had been just inside his own half when he sprinted onto the pass.

It was a disappointing end to a day in which Butland had also been left out of the England squad.

“If your name is being chucked in, that’s because you are doing something right,” Butland said. “When I found out I wasn’t in the squad, it was back to normal. But this was very disappointing because across the two legs the lads were unbelievable and we’ve dominated tonight.”

It was a sickening blow for Philippe Clement’s team who had looked full of confidence as they sought to repeat the heroics from the first leg in Lisbon in which they twice led before drawing 2-2. Spurred on by a packed Ibrox, Rangers enjoyed plenty of possession, with Tom Lawrence testing nervy keeper Anatoliy Trubin, who spilled an early effort behind.

But Rangers’ best spell came early after the restart with a committed surge from Scott Wright setting up Cyriel Dessers for a shot which was deflected behind. Antonio Silva almost scored an inadvertent own goal as James Tavernier’s cross struck his back and rolled just wide.

Yet Rangers still looked susceptible on the counter. Defender Alexander Bah could have wrapped up the win for the Portuguese after 81 minutes but Butland made a fine diving save.