Rangers welcome Hearts to Ibrox today as Clement aims for his second league win in a row
After fending off an assault during their Europa League match on Thursday night, Glasgow Rangers maintained their second straight clean sheet and left Prague with an unexpected point.
While the first half of the encounter was somewhat lacklustre, Philippe Clement’s team managed to escape with a 0-0 draw against Sparta Prague. The Germans entered the game during the second half and were unfortunate not to come out on top after some effective substitutions.
This afternoon’s match against Hearts may force the Belgian to rotate some of his players, which should result in Cyriel Dessers sitting on the bench.
Struggling against Sparta Prague was Cyriel Dessers.
With just four goals in 17 games for the Light Blues, the striker appeared unbalanced against the Czech team.
The Nigerian international led the line for 74 minutes, but in that time, he only completed six passes, took 21 touches, and did not attempt a single shot. In other words, he did very little to help the team.
Journalist Jonny McFarlane of Rangers Review criticised his play, calling the 28-year-old a “terrible signing” who “gives his team no chance” and stating that it’s time to make room for Brazilian attacker Danilo, another summer addition.
Danilo nearly scored the winner against Sparta Prague
The five-foot-nine forward has not yet established himself at the team and has missed many matches due to a cheekbone fracture sustained against St Johnstone last month.
Prior to that, he had only made four starts for the Light Blues, but in his brief time at Ibrox, the Brazilian had scored three goals and looked like a dangerous threat in the closing third.
The player, who impressed as a substitute in the midweek meeting, could have altered the result, and Clement will be hoping to rely on him in the coming weeks.
Danilo had two shots in his 16 minutes of play, one of which went over the crossbar. He also won one ground battle and made one tackle, but it was his influence that gave the Gers momentum in the closing minutes.
The dynamic shifted when the former Feyenoord striker took Dessers’ position on the pitch because he was unable to make a significant contribution during his time there. This could be crucial going into the next few weeks.
After the game, Clement praised him, saying that while he had “looked bright,” “we need to focus on making him stronger” and that the sooner he regains full health, the better the Rangers will undoubtedly be.
With Dessers unable to provide any real offensive threat in the final third, the signing of the player is beginning to seem increasingly bizarre.
Danilo has to be unleashed from the first whistle in this afternoon’s encounter, but it will be intriguing to see what type of future he has under the Belgian manager.
If he is, the Gers could secure yet another league victory and continue their momentum under Clement, and the ex-Eredivisie marksman could get Ibrox rocking with a strong performance through the middle of the pitch.
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