Sima in vow to stop Alf
Slavia Prague wonderkid Abdallah Sima insists they must stop Rangers star Alfredo Morelos.
The Senegalese teenager, whose goal knocked out Leicester City in the last round, is a huge fan of the Ibrox striker.
Sima has been impressed by Morelos’ displays in Europe and insists he’s good enough to play in one of the world’s top leagues.
And the 19-year-old – who will pose the biggest threat to Steven Gerrard’s side in their last-16 tie – believes he stands between Slavia and the quarter-finals.
Ahead of Thursday night’s first leg in Prague, Sima said: “Morelos is enormous for Rangers. He has the quality to play in a big European league. He is the main obstacle for us, the player
we must stop.” Sima, who is on the radar of Europe’s top clubs, is convinced Slavia will score at Ibrox in the second leg of the tie.
So their main objective is not to concede against Gerrard’s side in midweek.
Sima said: “If we don’t lose a goal in Prague it will be an excellent result for us because I’m sure we’ll score goals in Glasgow.
“Slavia dream of going far in the Europa League and to beat Rangers would be a significant step.
“They have scored many goals in the competition but Slavia don’t fear any team.”
Te am- m a t e Pe t e r Olayinka insists if the Czech champions can beat Brendan Rodgers’ Premier League outfit then they can do the same to Rangers.
The Nigerian striker said: “To play the first match at home is an advantage.
“We don’t fear Rangers or any team. Leicester are a better team – and we won in England.
“We have studied Rangers and it won’t be easy but Slavia’s biggest quality is our unity in the dressing-room.”
Alfredo Morelos even continued the party from a window ledge at Ibrox as the Colombian striker cracked open a beer in anticipation of an imminent title win.
Gerrard admits it’s now difficult to contain his excitement, with the gaffer on the verge of securing legendary status at the club.
He said: “We’re now millimetres from being champions but we’ll try to stay humble.
“It’s tough because we’re so close and it’s been a long journey over the three years.
“There have been highs and lows but I’ve just walked into a happy dressing-room because we’re so close now.
“When I turned up at the stadium it was emotional. You could see on the fans’ faces what it meant.
“How ar e my emotions now?
“Bubbling. I’m really happy and proud.
“At the same time I want to stay controlled be c aus e it ’ s not confirmed as of yet.
“But everyone knows it’s 99.99 per cent done.
“Because of what’s going on in the world right now, it’s difficult to get carried away and celebrate for real.
“I’m trying to keep a lid on things.”
That will be especially hard for the fans who broke Covid lockdown rules to gather at Ibrox and salute their heroes.
Gerrard’s car was mobbed by fans on his way to the ground with f lares and fireworks going off around him.
He says he’s wel l aware of people’s safety being the top priority.
But at the same time, he refused to condemn diehards who have been through the most turbulent period in the club’s history. Gerrard said: “I’ve got to get my words right here because we are still involved in a pandemic.
“So it’s important that fans try to stay safe. That’s the priority.
“But at the same time, if you’ve got anything inside your heart, you understand what the fans have been through.
“It’s my job to try and control that and safety is paramount.
“But it’s tough as it has been an emotional three years for me.
“The fans have been here much longer than that, they’ve been through a lot in 10 years. So you can certainly understand it.
“We heard rumours about how it could be when we turned up. That can take you to an emotional place.
“Some of my new players haven’t seen the supporters yet so it was a big eye-opener.
“But I had a good idea what it would be like. The day I turned up here on May 4, 2018, I didn’t expect 8000 fans.
“So I had an idea that once we got that first big success what the reaction would be like.”
The league flag could be sealed tomorrow if Celtic fail to beat Dundee United.
Gerrard revealed he and his players will have lunch together while the action unfolds on Tayside.
He said: “We’ll come in for a recovery session and have lunch.
“I’m sure the game will be on. We’ll see what happens.
“But the priority is getting ready for Thursday night against Slavia Prague in the Europa League. That’s going to be a tough game, probably the most difficult so far.”