MOTM Poll Rangers v Benfica - 20:00 Thursday - BT Sport

Your Man of the Match


  • Total voters
    231
If it had been knockout we'd have won. That though doesn't hide the disappointment of capitulating again. The players have clearly learned in Europeb before, this tie has certainly been a learning curve for them.

However, despite the late disappointment again, I can see that we
are a good European team. One of the best we've had since 1972.
 
These two games against Benfica are the only two times this season where I've thought "I wish we had fans in there, we might have made a difference".
 
Have I to sit here applauding because we drew when it was just like three weeks ago like groundhog day all over again. We learned nothing from the previous game against them and their substitutions were key in both games and lack of substitutions cost us in both these games of that you cannot argue.

For a team that was missing several key first team players we should be beating them and using that advantage and sitting smoking the cigar tonight already qualified.

It isn't just me that isn't happy with the lack of subs in both games,all we had to do was take Morelos off,stick another defender on and fresh legs in the middle and close them out for the last ten minutes.

I would have taken two draws against them when the group was drawn, but looking at the positions we were in in both games,both healthy leads,very comfortable especially when they were down to 10 men for most of the game in Portugal and blew both games in the last ten minutes in both games,you'll need to excuse me for being pissed off.
Who would have thought 3 years ago we would have been unhappy about beating Benfica over two legs
 
Two games in a row officials have been close to and looking directly at two of the most blatant penalties ever and not given it. Wtf is that about?
 
Is it only one point from the next game and we qualify?
Although it sounds utterly bizarre,both Poznan and Standard Liege if they both win their last two games,both of them would qualify and Rangers and Benfica wouldn't.

Looking at the table Standard Liege are away to us and home against Benfica, Poznan are away to Benfica and home against us. Benfica like us will want to top the group so still a bit of work to do for them and us. In theory a draw against Standard and Benfica beating Poznan and we qualify.

Said when the group was drawn Benfica would top the group and still stand by that, can't see Benfica losing at home against Poznan,looking at the table right now any two from four could qualify and Benfica should have all their players back for both games,so can't really see any upsets there.

Standard will be missing their first choice striker against us as he was sent off last night, think rather than what other teams do, we should be just concentrating on what we have to do in the Standard game and then the final game means nothing apart from the prize money,but i would still want to win that regardless if we already qualified, the fact that in theory Standard could still qualify tells me they won't be travelling with a weakened team to Ibrox, It's a very long shot, but if say Poznan went to Portugal and beat Benfica and we lost to Standard any of the four teams could qualify and would make for a very nervous game in Poland.

Idealy a win and we're through, a draw and Benfica win and it's all about the final games to see who finishes top.
 
Although it sounds utterly bizarre,both Poznan and Standard Liege if they both win their last two games,both of them would qualify and Rangers and Benfica wouldn't.

Looking at the table Standard Liege are away to us and home against Benfica, Poznan are away to Benfica and home against us. Benfica like us will want to top the group so still a bit of work to do for them and us. In theory a draw against Standard and Benfica beating Poznan and we qualify.

Said when the group was drawn Benfica would top the group and still stand by that, can't see Benfica losing at home against Poznan,looking at the table right now any two from four could qualify and Benfica should have all their players back for both games,so can't really see any upsets there.

Standard will be missing their first choice striker against us as he was sent off last night, think rather than what other teams do, we should be just concentrating on what we have to do in the Standard game and then the final game means nothing apart from the prize money,but i would still want to win that regardless if we already qualified, the fact that in theory Standard could still qualify tells me they won't be travelling with a weakened team to Ibrox, It's a very long shot, but if say Poznan went to Portugal and beat Benfica and we lost to Standard any of the four teams could qualify and would make for a very nervous game in Poland.

Idealy a win and we're through, a draw and Benfica win and it's all about the final games to see who finishes top.
I actually think we'll win the last two games. Benfica need to get more points than us to get above us. I expect both to finish on 14 points.
 
Who would have thought 3 years ago we would have been unhappy about beating Benfica over two legs
Not the point is it, you telling me you weren't pissed off after the two games against them,find that hard to believe, then again in my case a Rangers supporter dissapointed my team never won, If people were being honest rather than using peoples posts to claim they are being negative, with ten minutes to go you would have been whistling the sash, ten minutes later you would have been exactly like me in being pissed off, let's not pretend here we were all whistling the sash and saying what a great result when the final whistle blew.

Maybe i take results like that harder than others,maybe i don't like to see my club blowing games and now having to take something from games that should be meaningless,yes i was pissed off last night and i'll be pissed off today for a bit and it'll be forgotten about.
 
Benfica are the only team this season to make our defence look ordinary. No one on Scotland is remotely close to that level. It makes me confident we can get 55. No other team has scored more than one legal goal against us (Hibs were offside,) Scottish teams do well to even get a shot at our goal. For that reason our defence don't deserve slagged off, not that I think any Bear is.
 
Not the point is it, you telling me you weren't pissed off after the two games against them,find that hard to believe, then again in my case a Rangers supporter dissapointed my team never won, If people were being honest rather than using peoples posts to claim they are being negative, with ten minutes to go you would have been whistling the sash, ten minutes later you would have been exactly like me in being pissed off, let's not pretend here we were all whistling the sash and saying what a great result when the final whistle blew.

Maybe i take results like that harder than others,maybe i don't like to see my club blowing games and now having to take something from games that should be meaningless,yes i was pissed off last night and i'll be pissed off today for a bit and it'll be forgotten about.
Time for bed I think, I don't whistle or sing the sash, I just support the Gers. I think it was a great result
 
Time for bed I think, I don't whistle or sing the sash, I just support the Gers. I think it was a great result
While I think the team deserve some credit I can't believe anyone would not be gutted at drawing that game after what happened in Lisbon. There are plusses but I was disappointed at the final whistle. Any fan is going to be disappointed in any game they throw away a lead. What keeps me happy is that we beat them head to head on away goals.
 
I actually think we'll win the last two games. Benfica need to get more points than us to get above us. I expect both to finish on 14 points.
If we had won last night I wouldn't be so grumpy, not winning and Standard will take a bit of confidence with beating Poznan and knowing they have an outside chance of qualifying, they'll come to Ibrox knowing they have to win,we can't also take them for granted as they are still one of the top teams in Belgium,some on here will say to stop talking shite but i don't like complacency and just writing teams off as sometimes it bites you on the arse.

Even when we were winning 2-0 against the mankies I couldn't watch the last few minutes and was wandering about the house because the nerves had set in, after the dishes were done and the washing brought in i was much happier. :cool:
 
If we had won last night I wouldn't be so grumpy, not winning and Standard will take a bit of confidence with beating Poznan and knowing they have an outside chance of qualifying, they'll come to Ibrox knowing they have to win,we can't also take them for granted as they are still one of the top teams in Belgium,some on here will say to stop talking shite but i don't like complacency and just writing teams off as sometimes it bites you on the arse.

Even when we were winning 2-0 against the mankies I couldn't watch the last few minutes and was wandering about the house because the nerves had set in, after the dishes were done and the washing brought in i was much happier. :cool:
No one expects it to be easy but SG has brought a level of confidence I've not felt in years this season.

I expect us and Benfica to win next week. That means we next play Poznan away who are a good side but have nothing to play for. Benfica would have similar in their last fixture.
 
Another fantastic performance against a top team was gutted drawing after being 2 up but we all would of took 2 draws against Benfica.
 
No one expects it to be easy but SG has brought a level of confidence I've not felt in years this season.

I expect us and Benfica to win next week. That means we next play Poznan away who are a good side but have nothing to play for. Benfica would have similar in their last fixture.
I think with myself it goes away back to the championship,like everyone else I had to watch us playing the dregs of Scottish football,didn't have any concerns as I knew we were better than all the other teams quality wise and would rise through the leagues.

I expected us to win the Championship at the first attempt and was devastated when we didn't get promoted, I knew we didn't have the quality required when we finally got promoted to the top division and that along with all the heavy defeats to the mankies shattered any confidence i had left and i think programmed me to except defeat, last couple of seasons didn't help either when you didn't know from one week to the other what Rangers team was going to turn up and all the talk of 55 to me was the kiss of death and to me it was overconfidence with a lot of people,knowing that we still had a lot of work to do but had to keep quite for fear of being accused of being negative.

Watching Rangers now still leaves me with moments thinking when does things start going wrong, maybe because of the last few years or past couple of seasons when things looked much better,then we imploded and back to square one.

I've enjoyed the transformation in the team this season and in Europe but you won't hear me shouting about 55 or what we're going to win,I rather much prefer when we actually win it and get our hands on the silverware. Might sound daft or negative,but that's just the way i am.
 
If we had won last night I wouldn't be so grumpy, not winning and Standard will take a bit of confidence with beating Poznan and knowing they have an outside chance of qualifying, they'll come to Ibrox knowing they have to win,we can't also take them for granted as they are still one of the top teams in Belgium,some on here will say to stop talking shite but i don't like complacency and just writing teams off as sometimes it bites you on the arse.

Even when we were winning 2-0 against the mankies I couldn't watch the last few minutes and was wandering about the house because the nerves had set in, after the dishes were done and the washing brought in i was much happier. :cool:

I think with myself it goes away back to the championship,like everyone else I had to watch us playing the dregs of Scottish football,didn't have any concerns as I knew we were better than all the other teams quality wise and would rise through the leagues.

I expected us to win the Championship at the first attempt and was devastated when we didn't get promoted, I knew we didn't have the quality required when we finally got promoted to the top division and that along with all the heavy defeats to the mankies shattered any confidence i had left and i think programmed me to except defeat, last couple of seasons didn't help either when you didn't know from one week to the other what Rangers team was going to turn up and all the talk of 55 to me was the kiss of death and to me it was overconfidence with a lot of people,knowing that we still had a lot of work to do but had to keep quite for fear of being accused of being negative.

Watching Rangers now still leaves me with moments thinking when does things start going wrong, maybe because of the last few years or past couple of seasons when things looked much better,then we imploded and back to square one.

I've enjoyed the transformation in the team this season and in Europe but you won't hear me shouting about 55 or what we're going to win,I rather much prefer when we actually win it and get our hands on the silverware. Might sound daft or negative,but that's just the way i am.
We have a lot of baggage to carry with us as Rangers fans in the last decade.
 
But the problem is, we are now forced to compete in two games that we should have had no need to, in the middle of a hectic December. That was utterly brainless from Gerrard tonight. I am furious at him, not the players.
The problem is that we are not good enough to decide whether to compete or not.

Even if we had managed the win we would still have had to compete over the remaining two games to ensure top spot.

I am sure we will still qualify but not necessarily in top position.
 
Being 2 goals up and losing 2 goals twice in the latter stages against the same team hurts a bit.

Sitting well top of the league and top of our Europa group helps dull the pain but we do have an issue late in matches.

We are unbeaten this year but I can't help but feel there is a late sickener coming if we can't score a late goal.
 
I'd kill to have a Silva in our team, the man is a phenomenal footballer. He's the player that makes Benfica tick, instrumental in both their goals and a constant threat.

Benfica had a comeback we would have been proud of, so fair play to them. They have top drawer players, one of their bread and butter players probably cost more than our entire team.
He is a tidy footballer, their top man in Portugal as well.
The improvement in standards on and off the park in Gerrards 3 seasons has been off the scale.
 
im a little disappointed we lost 2 goals so quick
but im definately happy how we are playing just now.
that was benfica who spent 100 million i think and fought
toe to toe with them.
rangers are progressing fantastically this year and i
am proud to support rangers as i always am.
 
Reflecting on this the morning after; we've come through two games against a superior outfit unbeaten and with a bit more discipline in the first game we would have bested them.

Proud of our performance last night and really given how they pulled us all over the place for large spells it wasn't surprising they broke through eventually as we tired

Thought Davis was immense given I've sometimes thought he was a spent force.
 
Still happy enough with the two draws v Benfica yes we could have held on both times but even a blind man could see the quality they possess ,we have consistently been punching above our weight in Europe since Gerrard came in yes a few hiccups but we are learning year on year.
Reality check for the moaners and groaners Benfica were delighted to salvage 2 draws versus Rangers
 
Benfica are a really strong team, full of quality and technically brilliant, and we matched them. Our first goal seemed to take forever to go in, but what a goal by Scotty. Outstanding, and it was against the run of play. However, in those first 15 minutes Benfica had two great chances, one when Tav gave the ball away near the 18 yard line, and another when Everton should have scored inside the box.
The point I’m making is that throughout the game Benfica were on the front foot and dangerous but we defended well and attacked on the break. And then Roof’s goal came out of nowhere. 2-0 and cruising. Benfica brought on Ramos and he made the difference. Tav had no chance when it went 2-1. But we had 2 chances after that, from Kent & Morelos prior to their equaliser, which was well taken.
I know we are disappointed, yet overall, it was a fair result. If we played against teams like Benfica every week our standard would go up another notch, and therein lies the problem. SG has created a great team and for that we should be pleased and enjoy while we can.
 
Balogun man of the match for me, outstanding in defence last night.

Standard Liege is the big one next week, will be a difficult game.
 
Morelos, roofe and kamara all outstanding for me last night. Tough call but chose morelos the hold up play and the strength of him is something else.
 
Kamara for me.

Don't think he lost possession all night.

Strong, quick and a terrific flick in the build up for the 2nd goal.
 
I thought we just ran out of steam last night and didn't have anyone to put on that could have changed it. The first game we made a right arse of it as we looked in control but last night was different, they were constantly at us throughout the ninety minutes and it took it's toll.Our midfield and defence never come up against that calibre of player and it was a real hard shift.
I think we will beat the Belgians next week as we are better than them and they don't have the players Benfica have.
 
Two games in a row officials have been close to and looking directly at two of the most blatant penalties ever and not given it. Wtf is that about?
VAR is needed. It might have teething problems but that would have been given.

That linesman should never be involved in a professional match again.
 
Notice over the last few weeks we have dropped from around 100/1 to 33/1 to win the tournament and are 12th favourite along with Lille.

Just shows how well we have done, we are punching well above our weight in terms of spending power
 
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