Rangers show progress in Prague: Indebted to one man, quirky deployment of Abdallah Sima, an intervention as good as a goal

Sparta Prague's forward Victor Oluyemi Olatunji and Rangers' defenderConnor Goldson vie for the ball.

Even if in no other facet than appearing to enjoying a change of fortune with a change of manager as they snatched a precious scoreless draw against Sparta Prague. It is a result that leaves them in a promising position to qualify from their Europa League pool. The two clubs, who will meet again at Ibrox in a fortnight, are on four points, two adrift of Group C leaders Real Betis.

Certainly, Rangers seemed possessed of survival instincts in the Czech capital, but in finding themselves utterly under the pump for more than an hour, it was remarkable the home side’s dominance didn’t submerge Clement’s side. And in truth, that seemed owed more to imprecise finishing than any other factor. Still, a first clean sheet in unfamiliar environs on the continental stage across 12 such games – outside of qualifiers – isn’t to be sniffed at.

And that outcome wasn’t entirely about the breaks falling their way. Clement’s stated desire pre-match was that his European debut as Rangers manager would produce a better performance than the one hanging Hibs a 4-0 horsing on Saturday in the opening outing of his tenure. His team didn’t provide him that, or come close to doing so, in truth. Even when, in coming alive over the closing quarter of an hour with Danilo on for Cyriel Dessers, they might have pinched a win that would have been considered daylight robbery from their hosts. Keeper Peter Vindahl finger-tipped on to the bar a snapshot, appropriately enough, hammered in by the Ibrox’s side man in a mask, an opportunity carved out five minutes from normal time that followed Vindahl developing octopus arms to block a curling effort from the middle of goal by Sam Lammers in the 76th minute.

Jan Kuchta and Abdallah Sima could not find a way through in Prague.

Yet, that Rangers could be in the hunt for a winner on the back of a first hour in which the chance count was 15 to 1 in favour of the hosts could not be considered entirely unrelated to how Clement chose to respond to being deprived of obvious left-back cover. Deprived of Borna Barsic through injury and with Ridvan Yilmaz not listed on Rangers 25-man European squad, the Belgian elected to switch to a back three. Surprisingly enough in itself, more eye-popping was deploying Abdallah Sima as a left wing-back. The Senegalese is the man who has carried the threat for the Ibrox men in the past month courtesy of seven goals in as many games, but in Prague he was tasked with snuffing that out in the opposition. His athleticism and industry, showing constant willingness to track back and be alive to danger, meant he contributed admirably. Even as home attacker Veljko Birmancevic proved impossible to quell, as Sparta flooded on to their visitors time and again. As with Sima, the back three of John Souttar, in particular, Ben Davies and central pivot Connor Goldson weren't found wanting in coming up with blocks and last ditch tackles as the contest quickly became one-sided.

Without Jack Butland, though, these efforts would have been in vain. The keeper conjured up an amazing double save after eight minutes when a mazy run from Birmancevic left the Rangers backline looking like traffic cones before Butland thwarted his attempt to finish and then jumped up to reset himself and claw away to Qazim Laci's seemingly goalbound effort from the rebound. Towards the end of the half he was equal to a powerful low drive from Laci. And just before the interval he made another smart stop that led to John Lundstram showing the desire for the scalp that Clement had said would be a feature of his Rangers teams. The midfielder demonstrated all of that in brilliantly diving in and nicking the ball away when a tap-in seemed as if it would be presented for the home side. The Englishman celebrated as if he had scored a goal. In the end, it was an intervention almost as valuable.