FORMER Slavia Prague striker Abdallah Sima is expecting to get a hostile reception from fans of Czech champions Sparta this week – but he has expressed confidence Rangers can win the Europa League encounter and admitted he is eager to score against their opponents once again.

Senegalese forward Sima spent a season at Slavia back in the 2020/21 campaign and netted 20 times in 39 appearances to help them complete a Czech First League and Czech Cup double.

His impressive displays up front for the Fortuna Arena outfit resulted in him being named Czech Young Player of the Year and earned him a £7m move to Premier League outfit Brighton.

The 22-year-old, who has been on target for Rangers against PSV Eindhoven and Real Betis in Europe this term, is looking forward to the Group C meeting with Sparta in the Letna Stadium on Thursday night greatly.  

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Sima is keen to help Philippe Clement’s side bounce back from their embarrassing loss to Aris Limassol in Cyprus at the start of the month with a triumph that boosts their chances of progressing to the knockout rounds – and he feels they are more than capable of doing so.

“Every European game is hard, especially when you play a team like Sparta Prague,” he said. “I know them well from my time in the Czech Republic and it will be a hard game for us.

Glasgow Times: Sima scores his first

“We have to concentrate on our team and what we can do well, and not only focus on them. The quality we have here makes me think we can beat them over there. That’s what I believe.

“But I understand it’s a hard game for us. Sparta are a big team in the Czech Republic, so we are going to have to play at the level we showed against Hibs. But I am expecting us to win.”

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Sima added: “It is two years since I left Prague, but I have a lot of good memories of my time in that city. I was a Slavia Prague player so, for sure, the Sparta fans will not like me. But I am happy to be going there in a Rangers shirt and will be doing everything to win this game.

“I don’t think it will be a crazy game, but I do believe it will be very physical. We have physical players and they have physical players, so it is going to be like that.

“But I think we have more quality and if we just focus on that and work together, we can win. I just played one game against them and I scored two goals. So I would love to do the same on Thursday.”