Rangers and Benfica’s only previous competitive meetings before this season’s competition took place in the group stage of the Europa League in the 2020/21 season with both matches taking place in November 2020. The first match, at the Estadio da Luz, ended in a 3-3 draw with the return fixture at Ibrox three weeks later ending 2-2. On both occasions, Rangers were two goals ahead with less than 15 minutes remaining only for Benfica to fight back to earn a draw.
Outwith the Europa League meetings in 2020, the only other matches between the sides were friendlies, with Rangers emerging victorious on both occasions. The first, in February 1948, at the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon, saw Gers win 3-0 thanks to a double from Jimmy Duncanson adding to an opener from Willie Thornton. Then, in September 1965, more than 37,000 packed into Ibrox to see Rangers beat a Benfica side including Eusebio by a 3-1 scoreline with a first-half George McLean strike and a late double from Jim Forrest earning the Light Blue victory.
Overall, before this season, Rangers have met Portuguese opposition on 22 occasions, with a record of 11 wins, seven draws and four defeats, scoring 36 goals and conceding 26. At Ibrox, Rangers are unbeaten having won eight and drawn three of the previous eleven meetings with sides from Portugal, albeit the margin of victory has been by only one goal on six of the eight occasions with the most recent encounter, a 3-1 win over Braga, in April 2022, ending 2-1 after normal time. The only other occasion there was a two-goal victory was in November 2019 when goals from Alfredo Morelos and Steven Davis saw Gers beat FC Porto 2-0 in a Europa League group stage match.
Since 2000, Rangers have been involved in eight previous last 16 ties in Europe, progressing on two occasions. In 2002, the Light Blues lost 4-3 on aggregate to Feyenoord in the UEFA Cup and also exited to Villarreal, on away goals, after a 3-3 aggregate in the Champions League in 2006 and to Osasuna by a 2-1 aggregate scoreline in the UEFA Cup the following season. Rangers’ road to Manchester in the 2008 UEFA Cup included a 2-1 aggregate win over Werder Bremen in the last 16 but the next outing in 2011 saw a single goal defeat over two games to PSV with the tournament now rebranded as the Europa League. More recently, Gers have contested three last 16 matches in the Europa League, losing 4-1 on aggregate to Bayer Leverkusen in 2020 and 3-1 to Slavia Prague in 2021 before winning on their last outing, 4-2 on aggregate, against Red Star Belgrade on the way to Seville in 2022.
From the matchday squads which contested the two Europa League matches between Rangers and Benfica in 2020, there are no fewer than eight players still currently at Ibrox – James Tavernier, Borna Barisic, Connor Goldson, Ryan Jack, Jon McLaughlin, Kemar Roofe, Leon Balogun and Leon King – albeit not all are in the current Europa League squad list, while Ianis Hagi was also involved in 2020 and is currently on loan to Alaves from Rangers. Conversely, only two players from the Benfica squad four years ago are still at the club, skipper Nicolas Otamendi and Rafa Silva, who scored in the 3-3 draw in Lisbon in 2020.
Two players have played first-team games for both Rangers and Benfica. Jonas Thern made 72 league appearances for Benfica, scoring six goals, between 1989 and 1992 before an injury-hit spell at Ibrox between 1997 and 1999 where he played 23 league games and scored 5 goals. Claudio Caniggia spent one season in Lisbon in 1994/95, making 24 league appearances and scoring eight goals, and was part of Rangers’ last treble-winning squad in 2002/03 in his second season at the club, making a total of 78 league appearances and scoring 21 goals over his two years at Ibrox as well as scoring in two League Cup finals. In addition, three players, Dalcio, Fabio Cardoso and, most notably, Daniel Candeias, all made appearances for Rangers in recent seasons having previously been with Benfica but not playing any league games for the first team.
In addition to players who have played for both clubs, the two teams have also had one manager in common. Graeme Souness won three league titles with Rangers and was well on his way to a fourth before his departure to Liverpool in April 1991. He also won four League Cups in his near five-year reign at Ibrox. Taking over at Benfica in October 1997, Souness guided the Portuguese side to a second placed finish in his first season and third place in his second and final year in Lisbon.
Including the two Super Cup ties with Ajax in season 1972/73, tonight marks the 399th competitive fixture played by Rangers in European competition. The majority of these have taken place in the European Cup/Champions League where Rangers have contested 177 fixtures to date, with this being the 166th contest in the tournament that began as the Fairs Cup and has also been known as the UEFA Cup before becoming the Europa League. 54 games were played in the now defunct Cup Winners’ Cup, the most memorable being the final in May 1972 which saw Gers win their only European trophy to date.
Every issue has the best exclusive interviews and in-depth features, read more about what you can find in the Benfica issue below:
Mohamed Diomande is our main feature interview for the match, and the Ivorian midfielder who speaks about his delight at playing in European competition with Rangers.
Fresh from her first international start for Scotland, Chelsea Cornet speaks about the squad getting ready for the upcoming Sky Sports cup final against Partick Thistle and the second half of the season in the SWPL split.
Former Gers midfielder Pedro Mendes speaks about the matches against Benfica as well as his own career with the Light Blues.
Welcome message and update from CEO James Bisgrove as well as Philippe Clement‘s and Captain James Tavernier‘s programme notes.
The full lowdown on Benfica and matches between the clubs with Oppo Focus, Previous Meetings, Fast Facts and more.
Academy coach Jonatan Johansson speaks to Rangers Youth Development Company about his own career as a Gers player as well as his hopes for shaping the next generation of Rangers players in the Academy.
Club historian David Mason has a feature talking about the special friendship between Willie Henderson and Portuguese and Benfica legend Eusebio.
There’s all our regular features like On This Day, the Half Time Quiz, Junior Gers results, fixtures, a check in with the Rangers Charity Foundation and more!
All this plus so much more can be found in 84-page issue, price just £5 and with a free poster of the team from the first included.
Programmes can be purchased pre-match at Ibrox Stadium from our sellers outside the stadium, at the bar in Edmiston House, within the Museum Store or at every kiosk inside the stadium, or online here.
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