Okay, let’s break down how I tackled this Rangers vs Benfica review. First off, I made a big pot of coffee because Europa League kickoff was late and I knew I’d need notes. Grabbed my laptop, opened a blank doc, and split the screen with the match stream on one side.
During the Match Jotting
Right from kickoff I started typing quick bursts:
- Minute 3: Wrote “Rangers high press – Benfica keeper sweeper moment, almost disaster” when Silva got caught
- Minute 18: Slammed “CLEARANCE OFF LINE!!!” when Benfica’s header got saved on the goalmouth
- Minute 45+2: Noted “Di Maria freekick wizardry – post! Rangers breathing heavy”
Paused the stream twice when things got chaotic – once during that 3-minute pinball sequence in Rangers’ box around minute 27. Rewound to see who actually blocked the final shot (Tavener’s shin, turns out).
Post-Match Digging
When final whistle blew:
- Pulled up UEFA stats page – possession numbers surprised me (Benfica 63% felt lower during play)
- Rewatched both big VAR moments – that overturned Rangers penalty took me three replays to spot the arm position
- Checked Twitter for crowd angles of Silva’s disallowed goal – fan videos showed the offside clearer than broadcast
Connecting the Dots
Here’s where I scratched my head:
Realized Benfica’s constant crosses weren’t just bad tactics – Rangers center-backs Goldson and Souttar were swallowing every aerial ball. Kept typing “Why keep crossing?!” in my draft until I checked average player heights.
Also changed my mind about Cantwell’s substitution – first thought Rangers lost creativity, but replay showed he was gassed after chasing Neres for 70 minutes.
Final Polish
Spent twenty minutes just trimming rant sentences like:
- “Ref completely bottled the Sima yellow card incident – stonewall booking!” (changed to “Sima’s challenge deserved sanction”)
- “Benfica’s finishing was Sunday league level” (softened to “inefficient in final actions”)
Added timestamps for key moments last so people can skip straight to the Rangers penalty shout at 64′ or Silva’s disallowed goal at 88′.
Honestly? The draw probably saved me an hour – if Rangers conceded late I’d have to rewrite the whole “tactical discipline” section. Lucky escape for my sleep schedule too!
