Glasgow Rangers secured a 2-2 draw in Lisbon, giving them all to play for in their second-leg matchup against Benfica. But tomorrow’s Scottish Cup quarterfinal matchup at Easter Road versus Hibs is tucked in between the two legs.
A few members of Philippe Clement’s squad were sidelined by injuries when he left for Portugal, thus rotation of the squad was crucial before the match in Edinburgh.
The Light Blues won their first domestic cup tournament of the season, the League Cup, when they defeated Aberdeen 1-0 in December. Clement will have another opportunity to win a trophy in the Scottish Cup.
There is a possibility that some players will be left out of the starting lineup because the match is scheduled for four days before Benfica visits Ibrox.
In light of this, Football FanCast projects that the 49-year-old Belgian will make three changes to his starting lineup for tomorrow’s early evening kickoff from the draw with Benfica.
GK – Jack Butland
the teamsheet’s first name. Butland, who arrived in Scotland last summer, has been in incredible form. On Thursday night, he made a magnificent double save to deny Benfica.
Throughout the 2023–24 season, the Englishman has made 45 appearances, recording 22 clean sheets and surrendering just 35 goals across all competitions.
Whether Butland can continue to play at this high level will determine the club’s future success in the coming months, but given his recent play, this should not be an issue.
RB – James Tavernier
Tavernier’s offensive performances this season—21 goals and ten assists—have received a lot of attention, but his defensive work is sometimes disregarded.
The defender played well against Benfica, making five clearances, one tackle, and one blocked shot.
But against Hibs, Clement will want him to attempt to get back in the act in terms of goals scored, as the captain might lead the team into the semi-finals.
CB – Connor Goldson
Despite conceding an own goal in the middle of the week against the Portuguese team, the centre back won three of the four duels he participated in and only gave up the ball five times.
This season, he has made a number of errors, and Aberdeen’s goal against the Gers last month suggests that he frequently struggles with long balls over the top.
In the last few months of the season, Goldson will be a major player if he can eliminate these small errors.
CB – John Souttar
Despite giving up a penalty in midweek that allowed Ángel Di María of Benfica to equalise, Souttar had a strong game overall.
In addition to making four clearances during the game and only surrendering possession three times, the center-back won all of the duels he engaged in.
He should definitely start against Hibs; the only thing that could stand in his way is weariness.
LB – Ridvan Yilmaz
Borna Barisic has been replaced as the starting left-back by the Turkish defender, whose development under Clement has been astounding.
Yilmaz was eager to attack whenever available against Benfica, making two of his four dribbling attempts successful and taking one shot in the match.
He’ll get back to it tomorrow.
CM – John Lundstram
The midfielder has missed only one game since Clement joined the club back in mid-October and his form has also been excellent.
Lundstram has created five big chances, averaged 1.5 key passes per game and recovered 6.6 balls per game, as he has shown plenty of attacking intent in the Premiership this term.
Clement will keep him in the starting XI against the Edinburgh side tomorrow.
CM – Nicolas Raskin
The Belgian has endured a stop-start campaign in 2023/24, missing 18 games due to a variety of injury problems, and this has disrupted his first full season at Ibrox.
He came off the bench for a six-minute cameo in midweek, and given how busy the schedule is likely to get in the coming weeks, Clement may unleash him in the starting XI against the Easter Road side tomorrow.
RW – Ross McCausland
The young winger will replace Dujon Sterling on the right flank for tomorrow’s clash in the capital. Hailed as a “superb talent” by journalist Josh Bunting, McCausland has been the main talking point this season as he has emerged as a first-team regular.
Two goals and three assists is a solid return for the youngster in the senior squad this term, and he will add some freshness to the attack against Hibs.
AM – Mohamed Diomande
The Ivorian will move into a more advanced role against Hibs, taking over from Tom Lawrence.
The Welshman scored against Benfica, but with the games coming thick and fast in the coming weeks, he could be kept fresh for the return leg next Thursday evening.
Since joining Rangers, Diomande has already scored twice, and his presence just behind the striker could cause the Hibs defence plenty of problems.
LW – Fabio Silva
With Oscar Cortes, Abdallah Sima and Rabbi Matondo all injured, Clement unleashed Silva on the left wing against Benfica, as he delivered a solid performance.
The youngster didn’t score, but he took 57 touches, delivered one accurate cross and attempted six dribbles as he gave everything during his display in his homeland.
This will give Clement the licence to unleash him yet again in a wide-left role, and hopefully, he can get on the scoresheet against Hibs.
ST – Kemar Roofe
This could be a big gamble, but a fit Roofe can make all the difference against what is likely to be a stubborn Hibs side tomorrow.
The striker came off the bench against Benfica for the final 15 minutes and looked lively, indicating that he could well be ready for more minutes in the first team.
Is he ready to start? The jury is out, but dropping Cyriel Dessers, who failed to take a shot and completed just eight passes in midweek, is perhaps the best course of action for Clement.
If Roofe can grab a goal against Hibs, it could give him the confidence boost that he needs to kick on.
Predicted Rangers XI vs Hibs: GK – Butland; RB – Tavernier, CB – Goldson, CB – Souttar, LB – Yilmaz; CM – Lundstram, CM – Raskin; RW – McCausland, AM – Diomande, LW – Silva; ST – Roofe
