Rangers earn crucial point against Sparta Prague
Having picked up wins in their last three UEL matches on home soil, Sparta signalled their intent early on, with Veljko Birmančević and Qazim Laci denied by a brilliant double-save from Jack Butland.
The hosts continued to probe for a breakthrough in a dominant opening half-hour, but clear-cut chances came at a premium, as Laci fired a rasping strike from the edge of the box narrowly wide of the post.
Grateful to still be on level terms, Rangers looked to gain a foothold in the contest as the first half progressed, but the visitors were indebted to some brilliant last-ditch defending from John Souttar to thwart Adam Karabec.
The one-way traffic from Sparta continued as half-time approached, with Jan Kuchta missing another glorious opportunity for the Czech side, blazing over from close range.
Similar to the first half, Sparta emerged after the restart on the front foot, however poor finishing from Kuchta continued to frustrate the home faithful.
Encouraged by the hosts’ profligacy in front of goal, Rangers threatened to take the lead against the run of play when John Lundstram picked up the ball on the edge of the box, but Peter Vindahl Jensen stood firm in the Sparta goal to keep the scores level heading into the final 20 minutes.
With the match tantalisingly poised, both sides went in pursuit of a late winner, and it was the visitors who came closest to finding one, as Sam Lammers saw a curled effort superbly saved by Peter Vindahl and Danilo fired a fierce strike against the upright.
Despite those near misses, a winner ultimately proved elusive as both sides were left to settle for a point apiece. The result extends the hosts’ impressive form to just one competitive loss since late August (W9, D2), while Philippe Clement’s start to life as Rangers boss continues to show promising signs after a hard-fought point on the road.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Veljko Birmančević (Sparta Prague)
