Glasgow Rangers face a different sort of challenge this evening as Philippe Clement takes charge of the Ibrox side for the first time in European competition.
A trip to the Czech Republic to face Sparta Prague will prove to be a slightly more difficult task than what Hibernian offered at Ibrox on the weekend, as the Easter Road outfit slumped to a 4-0 defeat.
The early signs certainly look positive from the Belgian and another win this evening will buy him more credit with the supporters as a new era in Glasgow has well and truly begun.
The 49-year-old could perhaps likely make some changes from the starting XI that took on Hibs just a few days ago and rotation will be key to keep the players fresh.
What is the Rangers team news vs Sparta Prague?
One problem the former Club Brugge boss has is who will start at left-back. Borna Barisic was substituted off during the early stages of the Hibs clash with what appeared to be a thigh problem, and he was replaced by Ridvan Yilmaz.
Due to Michael Beale’s incompetence, Yilmaz is not included in the Europa League squad, leaving the Gers extremely light in this area and this could prompt Clement into a reshuffle at the back.
He could perhaps slot Ben Davies into the left side of defence, and this will probably be the logical thing to do ahead of the vital tie.
There could also be changes to the attacking setup and despite Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers enjoying solid performances against Hibs, will Clement start the duo or give opportunities to others who are keen to shine?
How has Sam Lammers performed for Rangers this season?
Although positive on the weekend, Lammers has failed to really convince the Ibrox faithful that his £3m transfer fee is fully justified.
Since joining from Atalanta in the summer under Beale, the Dutchman has found the back of the net only once across 17 matches, yet this was to be expected considering the forward scored just six goals since the beginning of the 2020/21 season.
This isn’t due to a lack of trying as the forward currently ranks first for shots per game (3.2) across the whole squad in the Premiership, yet he ranks seventh for goals and assists (two) and third for big chances missed (three) during the opening nine games of the season.
This form suggests he has yet to make the desired impact at the Glasgow side and Sparta Prague will prove to be a much more difficult opponent to break down compared to Hibs, giving Clement the licence to ditch Lammers.
The question is, who could replace him in the starting XI? With Todd Cantwell returning from injury on the weekend, he could be ready for his first start since the Old Firm clash against Celtic at the start of September.
Could Todd Cantwell start against Sparta Prague?
After missing five matches due to a knee injury suffered against Celtic, Cantwell made his return on Saturday and his 32-minute cameo was an effective one.
The midfielder replaced Scott Wright with just over half an hour left and he not only grabbed an assist, but also made two key passes, took one shot on target, and completed 88% of his attempted passes.
