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Rangers should view their draw with Benfica as a positive result, says coach Steven Gerrard, despite the late collapse denying them a place for a knockout in the Europa League.
Gerrard’s team conceded two goals in the final 12 minutes at Ibrox after going 2-0 up, after losing a 3-1 lead in Lisbon three weeks earlier.
Had they held, the Ibrox team would have secured a spot in the last 32.
“They are a Champions League team,” Gerrard said of Benfica.
“They have a great coach with a great pedigree, so we have to be positive about the result.
“During the 90 minutes it was a fair result, even at 2-0 I didn’t think we deserved to be two ahead.”
Rangers also conceded two goals at the end of Portugal when 10-man Benfica came back to draw 3-3.
However, qualifying for the next round is still firmly in their hands, with a win against Standard Liege at Ibrox next Thursday enough to see them through.
Gerrard’s men are unbeaten this season, having played 22 games, and the Rangers manager believes the late hit is a lesson for his players.
“We had to empty the tank for 70-75 minutes and we got tired as a group,” he said. “That’s when we had some complications. It was a learning experience for us.
“We don’t really play with this kind of team at the national level, so we have to keep learning and growing, trying to add better players, so that in the future we will be better and stronger towards the end of the games.”
