Rangers are quickly back to eleven men as Alfredo Morelos re-enters play. Benfica are seeing a lot of the ball but Steven Gerrard's men are a tough nut to crack these days.

Galatasaray are the only side to have scored at Ibrox this season.

Uh-oh. A worry for Rangers as Alfredo Morelos slumps to the turf after planting his leg awkwardly in an attempted tackle.

The striker is led off for some treatment but looks to be walking quite freely now.

A good burst of pace from Glen Kamara takes the Rangers midfielder into the opposition half before he is chopped down by a sliding challenge from behind.

Benfica do carve open a chance this time and it's a bloody good one as Everton weaves past his man to open up a view of Allan McGregor's net but he shoots high over the top from near the penalty spot.

A let-off for Rangers.

A neat passage of play from the visitors almost opens up a chance but Steven Davis makes a timely intervention on the edge of the Rangers penalty area to thwart the danger.

Billy Dodds
Former Scotland striker on BBC Sportsound

Image source, SNS

Benfica defender Nicolas Otamendi serves a ban after his red card in the reverse fixture. Darwin Nunez, Julian Weigl and Adel Taarabt are out after testing positive for Covid-19, while Jean-Clair Todibo, Andre Almeida, Pedrinho and Nuno Tavares are absent through injury.

Since that draw at home to Rangers, they have lost 3-2 at home to Braga and scraped past lowly Paredes in the cup. Prior to the first meeting with Steven Gerrard's side they lost 3-0 at Boavista, so all is not well with the Portuguese giants.

Can Rangers add to their woes this evening?

Benfica are first to threaten as Everton has a lash from distance but Allan McGregor can afford to stifle a yawn as the shot flies well wide.

Here we go at Ibrox.

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard speaking to BT Sport: "We've got three games to go to qualify but we don't want to waste any time, we want to make tonight count."

On the last meeting between the sides, when 10-man Benfica salvaged a 3-3 draw late on...

"I think we got too comfortable at 3-1 and we certainly paid for losing our shape and control on the pitch."

Alfredo Morelos became Rangers' record European scorer when he tapped in to make it 3-1 over in Lisbon.

The Colombia striker has 22 goals in 38 Europa League outings.

He may have been in the huff when subbed off on Sunday but he loves this competition. Can he add to his tally tonight?

Image source, SNS

Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Barisic, Kamara, Arfield, Davis, Kent, Roofe, Morelos.

Substitutes: McLaughlin, Bassey, Helander, Hagi, Itten, Barker, Stewart, Barjonas, Dickson, King.

Benfica: Leite, Grimaldo, Vertonghen, Jardel, Gilberto, Chiquinho, Gabriel, R Silva, Waldschmidt, Seferovic, Everton.

Substitutes: Svilar, Vlachodimos, Cervi, Goncalves, Pizzi, Bernardo, Araujo, Ferreira, Ramos, Ferro.

Michael Stewart
Former Scotland midfielder on BBC Sportsound

Rangers, who reached the last 16 last season, opened the group with an impressive 2-1 success at home to Galatasaray.

Then they had to be patient to see off a stubborn Lech Poznan 1-0 at Ibrox.

It looked like three wins on the trot when the visitors moved into a 3-1 lead against 10 men early in the second half but depleted Benfica found a way back, levelling the game in stoppage time.

"We couldn't be going into it in a better place really, given the run of games that we have been on," said Rangers boss Steven Gerrard yesterday.

The Ibrox side are absolutely flying, yet to taste defeat in 21 outings across all competitions this season, which is pretty remarkable.

Since drawing 3-3 with Benfica in Lisbon, Rangers have battered Hamilton and Aberdeen at Ibrox, 8-0 and 4-0, respectively.

A win tonight, coupled with a loss for Lech Poznan at Standard Liege, would see Gerrard's side into the knockout round with two games to spare.

Image source, BBC Sport

Celtic led this game, remember? A shambles in Prague, with a series of ugly defensive mishaps.

With Lille and AC Milan drawing 1-1, Neil Lennon's side cannot qualify, with two more games to come.

Pat Bonner
Former Celtic goalkeeper on BBC Sportsound