Benfica vs Rangers Prediction: Expect Goals at the Home of the Eagles

Rangers travel to the Estadio da Luz for the first leg of this Europa League Round of 16 tie on the back of a shock loss in the SPL on Saturday. This clash will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 with a kick-off time scheduled for 20:00.

Betfred’s Scottish Football expert Frank Monkhouse previews the action and takes us through his Benfica vs Rangers predictions...

Benfica returns to Europa League action on Thursday when hosting Rangers at the Estadio da Luz. The hosts are favourites to win this game and beat Rangers over two legs to progress to the next stage. Rodger Schmidt’s team knows their best chance of qualification comes from winning at home and avoiding having to chase victory at Ibrox next Thursday.

Rangers arrive in Lisbon following a painful weekend home defeat to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership. It was a game most pundits and fans expected them to win at a canter, but the Steelmen sprung a surprise.

Gers remain at the top of the Premiership following a Hearts win over Celtic on Sunday and take confidence from finishing on top of Europa League Group C ahead of Sparta Prague, Real Sociedad, and Aris Limassol. Philippe Clement’s team wants to ensure the tie remains competitive heading to Glasgow.

Benfica vs Rangers Odds

Benfica finished third in Champions League Group D behind Real Sociedad and Inter Milan, holding off Red Bull Salzburg to ensure they avoided elimination from European football by dropping into the Europa League. They now face a team that upset the odds to win their Europa League pool and reached the final of this competition in 2022. Rangers are in Lisbon, intent on causing a shock.

The quality of both teams tells us to expect a competitive contest and action-packed 90 minutes, but that isn’t reflected in the pre-match betting odds. Betfred traders expect a convincing home win for the Eagles, offering Benfica at 4/7.

Fancy the visitors to score another emphatic Europa League victory? Back Rangers at 9/2, or try your luck on the draw at an eye-catching 16/5, available on the Betfred app and site.

Both teams to score @ 8/11

Benfica is the Portuguese champion dropping down from the Champions League and enjoying home advantage. The locals are currently second in the Primeira Liga after 24 games played, with their stats for the campaign showing 18 wins, four draws, and just two defeats, with 56 scored and 20 conceded.

Despite their glittering form, Benfica enters on the back of a surprise weekend defeat when they lost 5-0 away to third-placed Porto.

Like their opponents, Rangers also suffered a shock loss at the weekend in domestic action, going down 2-1 at Ibrox to Motherwell, who scored an overdue but deserved three points in Govan.

Poor defending, an almost non-existent midfield, and a misfiring frontline cost Gers the chance to go five points clear at the top of the Premiership. Clement’s team will want to learn the lessons, refocus, and get down to business in Lisbon.

Both sides are capable of scoring goals, and after Benfica beat Toulouse 2-1 in the previous round and Rangers edged Betis by the odd goal in five on Spanish soil, we’re backing both teams to score on Thursday at 8/11, which equates to a 58% chance of happening.

Tavernier to score @ 4/1

If we’ve learned anything from betting on Rangers, it’s that captain James Tavernier is Mr Reliable, certainly under Clement. The right back’s numbers in this competition are remarkable, and he’ll stand up and be counted again on Thursday.

Rangers face a huge task in Lisbon and must prepare to spend long periods of the game without the ball. But when backing Tavernier to score anytime, you’ll have a great chance if the visitors win a penalty.

Tavernier has also scored some excellent free kicks from distance, and he’ll be asked to ensure his team remains competitive. We’ll require our fair share of luck to get this bet across the line, but the odds make it worth a pop. The 4/1 price comes with it a 20% chance of happening in terms of implied odds.

Frank Monkhouse covers Scottish Football for us here at Betfred Insights. You can check out all of his work along with that of the rest of our Football Betting Tips desk on our main Football page...