Rangers F.C
Clement can ditch Dessers by unleashing Rangers’ very own Duracell Bunny
If Rangers defeat Benfica tonight, they will advance to the Europa League’s final eight.
On Thursday night, Glasgow Rangers and Benfica square off at Ibrox with a spot in the Europa League quarterfinals on the line.
Dujon Sterling and Ross McCausland both left the Scottish Cup match against Hibs at Easter Road due to injuries, so Philippe Clement might need to make a few changes to his starting lineup from that squad.
Not only will the Belgian manager be experimenting with the wings, but he also has some other changes planned because Cyriel Dessers has struggled in his last two starts.
Numbers from Cyriel Dessers’ match against Benfica
The 29-year-old was selected to start last week’s match against the Portuguese team, but he made no significant contributions to the outcome.
In his 76 minutes on the pitch, the Nigerian striker made very few touches and completed just eight passes, forcing Rangers to look elsewhere for goals.
| Cyriel Dessers vs Benfica | |
|---|---|
| Goals | 0 |
| Big chances created | 0 |
| Dribble success | 0/2 |
| Total shots | 0 |
| Touches | 17 |
| Via Sofascore | |
In fact, he lost all eight of his contested duels, failed on his two dribble attempts, and was replaced by Kemar Roofe with just fifteen minutes remaining in the game.
Kemar Roofe’s season summary of stats
In an effort to increase his fitness, Roofe was given some playing time against Hibs over the weekend and looked lively during his cameo last week.
Due to multiple injuries, the center-forward has missed a significant portion of the season. Since his contract expires at the end of the current campaign, he may be nearing the end of his time in Glasgow.
Roofe has made 19 appearances this season, scoring two goals and dishing out one assist. One of his goals occurred in the Europa League back in December when he gave the Gers the victory over Real Betis, ensuring that they would win their group.
He has made the biggest impression in Europe. Roofe has generated a lot of opportunities, averaged 0.5 crucial passes per game, completed 0.5 successful dribbles per game (0.5), and won 3.5 duels overall per match despite only starting once in the competition.
These numbers ought to give Clement the green light to finally insert him into the starting lineup. If the striker is healthy, he could undoubtedly pose a threat to the Benfica defence.
The £26k-per-week striker’s incredible work ethic and hunger during games earned him the nickname “Duracell bunny” from his former manager Steven Gerrard, and Clement needs exactly this on a big night in Europe.
In addition to increasing the team’s finances, a victory will give the Gers some momentum going into the last few weeks of the season and advance them to the event’s quarterfinals for the second time in three years.
Since coming, Clement has performed admirably, and the match against Benfica has proven to be the most difficult so far.
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