Glasgow Rangers secured a wonderful 2-2 draw against Benfica in Portugal last night which gives them an excellent chance to progress to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Philippe Clement was missing four wingers due to injury in his squad, but Fabio Silva and Dujon Sterling covered well on either flank, while the result sets up a second leg with all to play for at Ibrox next week.
Several players were outstanding for the Light Blues, with Ridvan Yilmaz and Mohamed Diomande further cementing their places in the starting XI, while Sterling stood in well on the right wing and barely put a foot wrong.
Dujon Sterling’s game in numbers vs Benfica
The former Chelsea prospect is swiftly becoming as useful as a Swiss army knife, operating in several different positions since he joined last summer.
Against Benfica, he was deployed on the right wing and did not disappoint. While he perhaps was not as involved as much as he would have liked, Sterling still had two shots on target, won 50% of his total duels, took 25 touches, and most importantly, scored Rangers' second goal just before half-time.
This was indeed his first-ever senior goal, and it could turn out to be vital ahead of the second leg at Ibrox next week.
Tom Lawrence starred alongside Sterling as he was deployed in the number ten slot last night and his performance was also impressive. He continues to build on his solid run of form over the previous few weeks.
Tom Lawrence was excellent against Benfica
In his previous three Premiership games, Lawrence had scored and grabbed an assist, looking lively in all three matches.
It looks as though he has put his injury woes behind him and is set to lead the club to potentially more glory between now and the end of May.
Goals
1
Key passes
2
Touches
32
Tackles
3
Ground duels (won)
6(4)
Via Sofascore
Against the Portuguese outfit, Lawrence opened the scoring with a header within the first ten minutes, giving the Gers plenty of confidence, while he also made two key passes, succeeded with 50% of his dribble attempts, and had two shots on target, along with taking 32 touches, showcasing his attacking talents.
Not only did he impress when Rangers were attacking, but the Welshman showed wonderful defensive commitment to the cause as he made three tackles, two interceptions, and won four of his six ground duels, impressing across a wide range of metrics.
Indeed, journalist Jonny McFarlane gave him a match rating of 8/10 for his display in Lisbon last night and this was certainly well deserved, based on the aforementioned statistics behind his display.
McFarlane went on to say that Lawrence ‘has made a big difference since his return from injury’ and he has certainly given Clement another option in the midfield area.
If he can remain fit and healthy between now and the end of the season, the 30-year-old will be a massive asset to the club, challenging on both domestic and European fronts, and his performance against Benfica proves he can do it against the very best.
A Scottish Cup quarter-final clash awaits on Sunday against Hibernian, and it will be interesting to see the team that the 49-year-old coach unleashes in Edinburgh.
