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Europa League Last 16: Rangers' European Hopes Dented by Benfica Away Draw
Rangers Held to 2-2 Draw by Benfica in Europa League Thriller
Historical Clashes and Match Stats Provide Context for Round of 16 Tie
Rangers' hopes of progressing further in the UEFA Europa League took a blow on Thursday evening, as they played out a thrilling 2-2 draw with Portuguese giants Benfica in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie. The match, played in front of a passionate crowd at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, saw both teams trade blows in an entertaining encounter.
The match started brightly for Rangers, as they took an early lead through a deflected James Tavernier effort. However, Benfica responded well and turned the match on its head with two quickfire goals from Goncalo Ramos and David Neres. The Scottish champions showed their resilience to equalize before half-time, with Alfredo Morelos heading home to silence the home crowd.
Both teams continued to create chances in the second half, but neither could find a winning goal. Rangers will be disappointed with the result, as they had taken a positive start to the match. However, they will take encouragement from their performance and will be confident of getting a result in the second leg at Ibrox next week.
The draw leaves the tie finely poised ahead of the return leg. With both teams having shown their attacking prowess, another high-scoring encounter is expected on March 16th.
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