Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has praised Alfredo Morelos for what he believes was the striker’s strongest performance of the season against Benfica, as quoted by the Glasgow Times.
The Gers drew 3-3 with the Portuguese giants on Thursday evening, with Morelos netting his side’s third goal in the 51st minute.
His close-range finish had looked to have secured the points in Lisbon, but late goals from Rafa Silva and Darwin Nuñez snatched a draw for the 10-man hosts.
Gerrard was disappointed to surrender a two-goal lead but pleased with the contribution of his main striker.
“I thought Alfredo was outstanding for the majority of the game,” he said, as quoted by the Glasgow Times. “His hold up play, he was strong for us and got another important goal.”
“I thought his performance was probably his strongest of the season. “Hopefully [we’re now seeing him back to his best]. I think the trigger for that was his goal last week, coming on and changing the Lech Poznan game with the header.
“It’s lovely to see him back contributing in big games and scoring goals for us. It’s a big, big help.”
Gerrard praises Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos for Benfica display – Verdict
Morelos has been consistently outstanding for Rangers in Europe for several seasons now and the return of the Europa League proper has coincided with own his resurgence.
Remarkably, the 24-year-old is now the club’s all-time record goalscorer in European competition with 22 goals and he provided an excellent focal point for the Gers at the Estádio da Luz.
El Bufalo looks considerably sharper than he was at the start of the season, with his link-up play more polished and his movement more incisive.
It appears that the closing of the transfer window and the competition for places at Ibrox have jolted him into life and when he’s on song, he’s still the club’s best number nine.
