Europa League boss shares aggressive Rangers verdict after draw
Sparta Prague manager Brian Priske has said that he expects Rangers to be aggressive with “old British football” when they meet one another in the Europa League this season.
Michael Beale’s side have been drawn in Group C of the Europa League alongside Real Betis Aris Limassol and Slavia Prague after they missed out on a place in the Champions League.
The last time the Light Blues featured in the competition they reached the final, losing to Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties, and Priske thinks he knows what to expect from the Gers.
Quoted by The National on Saturday (2 September) he said: “We have very interesting matches against three quality teams that differ in their concept. We have respect for them all.
“Rangers are representatives of the old British type of football. Aggressive in the tackle, and long balls and very quick on the counter-attack. For us staying in Europe after Christmas will be fantastic.”
Different task
The last time these two sides faced one another in Europe they each won their home matches in their Europa League group, with the Gers winning 2-0 at Ibrox and Sparta winning 1-0 in Prague.
Rangers’ were blown away by their Czech opposition in 2021 with Alan McGregor at his best to keep the score to only 1-0 after Steven Gerrard’s team struggled to get a foothold in the game in a hostile atmosphere.
So much has changed at Ibrox since the two sides last faced off, with two new managers on the blue side of Glasgow and James Tavernier one of only a handful of players still in the Gers’ side, Beale will be hoping his side can have a similar run in Europe as what followed the last time these teams faced off.
Although Rangers can be a physical side, declaring them a long-ball side is incredibly short-sighted, with the likes of Todd Cantwell and Kieran Dowell both incredibly gifted players who will hopefully thrive on the Europa League stage.
At the moment, Rangers have much more pressing issues than their meeting with Priske’s side in Europe, with a crucial Old Firm derby on the horizon. Beale needs to turn this team’s fortunes around quickly.
In other Rangers news, one pundit has already been critical of the Gers’ transfer business after the window closed