Following a surprise lack of goals at Firhill on Tuesday, Thursday’s Football Bet of the Day sees me focus on the European second legs, and there is one fixture in particular that appeals to me for goals.
⚽️ Rangers 🏴 vs Benfica 🇵🇹
🇪🇺 Europa League
⏰ Thursday 14th March, 17:45
Following an entertaining first leg in Lisbon last week, Rangers and Benfica face off at what will be an atmospheric Ibrox on Thursday night with a place in the last eight up for grabs, and I’m expecting to see plenty of goals between these two sides once again.
Rangers have scored 80 goals across their opening 40 Scottish Premiership and European contests this term, with 44 (55%) of them coming on home soil. The Teddy Bears have found the back of the net in 19/20 (95%) of their league and European fixtures at Ibrox this season – striking on multiple occasions in 14 (70%) of them, including in 11/13 (85%) of them under Phillipe Clement – and will be confident of breaching a Benfica defence that has only registered a solitary clean sheet in nine attempts in Europe this season, and who have shipped multiple goals in each of their previous three league and cup matches in Portugal.
Under-pressure Benfica manager Roger Schmidt has seen his side score 70 goals across their opening 34 Primeira Liga/European fixtures this campaign, with 27 (39%) of them coming on their travels. The Eagles have found the back of the net in 28 (82%) of those matches – scoring on multiple occasions in 22 (65%) of them, including in 12 of their last 14 – and will also be confident of getting on the scoresheet against a Gers defence that has kept just two clean sheets across their 11 European fixtures this season.
Bet of the Day
This is the fourth meeting between these two sides since November 2020, with the previous three featuring a staggering 14 goals, with Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5 Goals banking in each, including that thrilling 2-2 draw in Lisbon last week.
12 of Rangers’ previous 14 European fixtures at Ibrox have produced a minimum of three goals, with nine (64%) of them also seeing goals at both ends – and given Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5 Goals has paid out in five of Benfica’s previous six European contests – I’m happy to have a punt on there being at least three goals, with both teams scoring in what promises to be another thrilling encounter between these two sides at Ibrox this evening.
Join me on Telegram
I’m delighted to have joined the excellent team at Gambla to provide even more tips for those of you that want to follow me. I’ll be posting daily on my new Private Telegram Channel which you can access here.
The first month is completely free and you can cancel at anytime so why not join me and let’s bash the bookies together.
In December 2020 we sadly 
🔵 Rangers vs Benfica – Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5 Goals (0-1 ⚽️)
🔵 Pays 10/11 ❌