Hugh Keevins has brushed aside the notion that Rangers’ prospects of winning the Scottish Premiership title may be impacted by their Europa League matches against Benfica.
This season, Philippe Clement’s team has a chance to defeat Celtic, their bitter rivals in the Old Firm, and get past Benfica in the Europa League Round of 16 as well.
Clement has only lost once since moving to Ibrox in October, so facing a busy schedule full of competitions coming up will be another task for the Belgian.
In an article for the Sunday Mail (February 25, page 55), Keevins stated: “It has been said that Rangers will suffer domestically from the increased pressure of European competition.
But what if it motivates the players instead of wearing them out? The jury will now recess to deliberate over their decision.
Can Rangers defeat Benfica in the Europa League under Philippe Clement’s leadership?
Rangers will likely challenge in the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Cup, and Europa League this season, with the potential to win multiple titles.
James Tavernier’s goal in the Scottish League Cup final gave Clement’s team the victory, and they will be eager to win more before the season is out.
It would be unfortunate to see the Gers lose to Benfica and crash out of Europe after an exciting, edge-of-your-seat contest against Real Betis, winning Group C with a 3-2 victory over the Spanish.
Hugh Keevins, Sunday Mail writer on Rangers
Hugh Keevins’ response to Benfica vs. Rangers. Sunday Mail is credited.
Naturally, the formidable Portuguese team poses their own dangers and leads the Liga Portugal standings at the moment. However, Clement won’t hesitate to confront them.
Over the previous few months, his team has shown themselves, coming back from a significant disadvantage to dethrone Celtic as the league’s top team. Rangers must believe they can beat anybody right now with the signing of Oscar Cortes and Mohamed Diomande in January.
GET MORE NEWS HERE