In the Europa League match held at Ibrox, unexpectedly, Rangers suffered a defeat to Benfica and were eliminated from the competition after a 2-3 loss in the aggregate. Philippe Clement’s team saw their chances fade following a counter-attack from Benfica, resulting in a direct forward goal in the 66th minute by Rafa Silva. Initially, Silva’s goal was overruled for offside, but it was later considered valid after a VAR check.
Rangers had dominated the first leg of the match at Lisbon and twice held the lead. However, the opposition managed to claw back with a penalty and an own goal, taking away Rangers’ potential triumph. During the second leg in Glasgow, opportunities for victories were within their reach, but Rangers couldn’t quite make good use.
Undeterred, Rangers’ followers in the Broomloan Stand showcased their optimism by unveiling an impressive pre-match spectacle, indicating their hopes of reaching the eventual final in Dublin on May 22. Nevertheless, Rangers will not be repeating their journey to the 2022 final and as current leaders of the cinch Premiership, they will now shift their focus on having a triumphant domestic season.
In sympathy, the crowd of approximately 50,000, including Benfica fans, observed a tribute to Thomas McAllister, a young Rangers aficionado who sadly passed away during the first leg in Lisbon.
The match mirrored the previous 2-2 draw in Portugal with a cautiously played first half. Rangers missed an opportunity before halftime due to a misguided decision by Lawrence who passed to an evidently offside Dressers.
Continued pressure from the home team was maintained, although Benfica created an opportunity via Casper Tengstedt who shot directly at Butland from 12 yards. Benfica subsequently seized the lead for the first time in the match when Rafa Silva, having secured a header from Angel Di Maria, threaded his way through and scored, despite an offside being initially called.
Glasgow’s deluge affected Rangers’ ambitions in a negative manner, making the pitch waterlogged and slowing the ball’s movement. Benfica nearly secured their victory with Bah’s shot that Butland skilfully saved.
Struggling to make his mark, Lundstram sent an effort towards the goal, but Trubin saved it effortlessly, diminishing Rangers’ hopes just as Todd Cantwell, the substitute player, missed his last-minute shot.
In a more delightful scenario, West Ham overtook Freiburg, racing to the Europa League’s final eight with a spectacular 5-0 victory. Manager David Moyes switched strategies, opting for an offensive game-plan to counteract the 1-0 loss suffered in Germany during the initial stage. This bold move was met with overwhelming success: Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen, Aaron Cresswell and Mohammed Kudus, who scored twice, including an impressive solo run, were all instrumental in this victory. This resulted in a 5-1 total victory, marking the third consecutive season West Ham advanced to the European quarter-finals.
This win also potentially benefits the Hammers’ domestic counterparts, as due to UEFA’s coefficient ranking system, England’s upper hand over Germany could give the country an additional European slot next season.
Despite concerns over a possible lack of atmosphere due to the unpopular 5.45pm starting time that kept some fans away, the London Stadium was brimming with energy. Nine minutes into the game, the stadium came alive as Cresswell’s consecutive corner kicks found Paqueta, who smoothly guided the ball into the net, abolishing Freiburg’s lead.
Just past the halfway point, West Ham doubled their lead with Bowen, recently selected for England, demonstrating his worth by shaking off Freiburg’s captain Christian Gunter and firing home from a substantial distance.
Just into the second half, Bowen facilitated another chance by feeding the ball to Cresswell at the boundary of the box. This resulted in a triumphant return for the left-back whose previous mishap had cost his team when facing Eintracht Frankfurt.
And yet the highlight of the match was still pending. A potentially harmless move morphed into a captivating spectacle when Kudus took possession deep in his own half.
The ex-Ajax wing player dashed approximately 70 yards, cutting through Freiburg’s defence before nonchalantly guiding the ball into the goal. It was no surprise then that Kudus decided to use a media professional’s seat as his own and put himself on display in front of ecstatic supporters while fellow players celebrated him.
Kudus had clearly benefited from the rest as he promptly received Bowen’s deflection and sent a low-powered shot from 20 yards to round off West Ham’s outstanding performance.
Europa League result updates:
Benfica edged Rangers 1-0, winning 3-2 overall.
AC Milan bested Slavia Prague 3-1, wrapping up a 7-3 aggregate victory.
Marseille overcame Villareal 3-1 to win the tie 5-3.
West Ham thrashed Freiburg 5-0, securing a 5-1 victory in total.