That's all folks. Rangers are close to rubber stamping their place in the knockout phase of the Europa League but Celtic head into their final two group matches knowing they can go no further.

There's more football tomorrow, there's always more football tomorrow...

Join us if you can for TV, radio and text coverage as Scotland visit Portugal for an important qualifier in the race to reach the women's European Championship.

Rangers and Celtic both enter the League Cup on Sunday.

The holders must get over tonight's defeat as they host Ross County, while the Ibrox team go to League 1 leaders Falkirk.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon: "I didn't think we deserved to lose the game 4-1.

"Really disappointed with the first and second [Sparta] goals. From a set play, we haven't dealt with the second ball and I thought we could've dealt with the cross better.

"Our reaction after half-time for 35 minutes, we were superb. I thought we deserved to get back into the game.

"Things aren't going for us at the minute. Trying to be positive and and we got caught on the counter attack for the third goal. We lost the game on that moment.

"I just think the players are lacking a little bit of confidence at the minute, as a group."

Image source, SNS

Steven Gerrard sounds content but it's a very different story for Celtic manager Neil Lennon after this evening's 4-1 defeat to Sparta Prague.

Celtic have lost three of their four Europa League group matches and are out of the running already, while they have won just two of their last nine games.

Let's catch up with what he had to say...

Don't forget Rangers had a strong case for a penalty turned down after a blatant handball that the assistant referee was right in line with...

"It was a penalty and it needs to be looked at because I could see it and I was 40 yards away," Rangers manager Steven Gerrard tells BT Sport.

"It was an odd game to analyse but after the emotions have settled I think a draw is a fair result. We are making progress but we still have a way to go to perform at Benfica's level on a consistent basis. But we have to be happy with how we've done in these first four games."

Image source, SNS

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard speaking to BT Sport: "I'm frustrated of course, but you have to take into consideration we were playing against a team that should be in the Champions League and spent a lot of money in the summer. They wear you down and find areas where they can punish you.

"We’d have taken two points from these games before a ball was kicked and I'm really proud of what we’ve given over the two games. Yes, we’ll analyse the goals and see what we could have done better but we always knew it would be difficult and it was a fairly close game."

Rangers remain unbeaten this season and home and away draws against a side like Benfica are certainly not to be sniffed at.

Both teams look almost certain to go through.

Image source, SNS

Speaking to BT Sport, Rangers captain James Tavernier:

"It's disappointing. We put ourselves in a good position but threw it away. It's just two sloppy goals basically. But they're a great side and it's good for us to learn from this. We've put ourselves in a great position in the group so we move on."

Here's how Group D looks now and it still makes good reading for Rangers, just not quite as good as it could have.

Victory at home to Standard Liege next time will guarantee passage to the round of 32 and there's a game to come away to Lech Poznan too.

Billy Dodds
Former Scotland striker on BBC Sportsound

It's all over. Once again, a draw feels like a defeat for Rangers against Benfica as the Portuguese hit back from two goals down.

I thought it was a done deal when Kemar Roofe cracked in a beauty and maybe some of the home players were guilty of thinking the same way.

Standard Liege grab a late goal to move 2-1 up on Lech Poznan.

Can Rangers follow suit? Time is against them.

Three minutes of stoppage time...

Rangers are creaking now as Benfica go in search of a third goal. Gabriel is not far away as his looping volley from 20 yards ripples the roof of the net.

Former Spurs defender Jan Vertonghen catches Alfredo Morelos with a dangerously high boot.

Alfredo Morelos has been quiet tonight but suddenly bursts into life as he dips a shoulder to go past a defender then smashes in a shot that is parried up in the air and on to the crossbar before the ball is hacked clear.

It's 1-1 and 10 v 10 in Belgium now as Lech Poznan lose a player to two yellow cards.

With Rangers taking care of business here, it's not so important.

Benfica came from two behind to snatch a draw at home against Rangers a three weeks back, so the hosts can't afford to relax just yet.

However, that fantastic strike from Roofe does look to have knocked the stuffing out of the visitors.