Jude Bellingham was once again the only bright spark as Borussia Dortmund got knocked out by Rangers in the UEFA Europa League.
Borussia Dortmund are knocked out of the UEFA Europa League after a 2-2 draw with Rangers in the second leg at Ibrox. After a shocking 4-2 defeat in the first leg, the Bundesliga had required a victory of a two-goal margin, but the draw means the Gers are through to the Round of 16 on a 6-4 aggregate.
It was always going to be a tough encounter for Dortmund, who did rather well to pile on the pressure on the Rangers defence early on in the proceedings. However, an unintelligent foul by Julian Brandt inside the box led to a penalty for the home side, with captain James Tavernier making no mistake in giving his team the early lead.
Despite the setback, Dortmund kept up the pressure and were eventually rewarded, with Jude Bellingham levelling the scoreline in the 31st minute. The Black and Yellows doubled their lead about ten minutes later, with Donyell Malen tapping home to make it 2-1. The goal served as a major confidence booster for the away side that needed one more to level the aggregate score.
However, Marco Rose’s men endured a rather unimpressive start to the second half before Mats Hummels eventually came up with a defensive howler that allowed Tavernier to level the scoreline. The equaliser allowed Rangers to sit deep and defend the two-goal deficit, with Dortmund struggling to offer any sort of threat going forward.
The Famous Glasgow Rangers ?#RFCBVB | #UEL pic.twitter.com/nQ7B0mlPhb
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) February 24, 2022
Here, at the Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the Borussia Dortmund players in their disappointing draw with Rangers at the Ibrox this midweek.
Gregor Kobel: 6.5/10
Gregor Kobel made a couple of wonderful saves to deny Rangers from sealing the victory. His save to deny Scott Arfield was particularly impressive, whereas the goalkeeper was once again left stranded by his incompetent defensive teammates, including Mats Hummels and Emre Can. He won’t be too happy with his team’s performance in the evening.
Thomas Meunier: 6/10
Thomas Meunier had a rather mixed game on the right flank. He looked sloppy at times with the build-up play, but he was always a useful attacking outlet going forward. He notably played a key role in the lead up towards the equaliser from Bellingham and was even close to sealing Dortmund’s third moments before getting injured.
Emre Can: 4/10
Emre Can was offered the start in central defence in the absence of Manuel Akanji and Dan-Axel Zagadou. The former Liverpool midfielder looked sloppy throughout the ninety minutes and conceded a key turnover that led to Rangers’ third goal in the second half. To his fortune, the goal was ruled out by VAR due to impediment.
When you step across a player who has already began the act of kicking a ball it’s classed as impediment, if that impediment results in any form of contact it’s a direct free kick – that was specifically raised preseason in a UEFA referee brief. Don’t shoot the messenger ? pic.twitter.com/dK4dll0ZaI
— Chris Williams (@Chris78Williams) February 24, 2022
Mats Hummels: 3/10
Mats Hummels made the biggest defensive error for Dortmund on the night, completely scuffing an attempted sliced clearance that went straight into the feet of Tavernier for Rangers’ second of the evening. He looked very sloppy defensively and was not a major obstacle for the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent.
Nico Schulz: 4/10
Nico Schulz made a truly remarkable recovery to deny Rangers the third goal in the second half. However, his overall footballing display was not as impressive as his pace. The fullback indeed made a lot of errors in possession, conceding multiple turnovers and offering very little threat with his crosses. Why he started over Raphael Guerreiro remains a mystery.
Mahmoud Dahoud: 4/10
Mahmoud Dahoud had a poor game, to say the least. The former Gladbach starlet struggled to impose his presence against the high intensity of the Rangers press. He lost possession way too often, but most importantly, he couldn’t deal with the Rangers midfielders in physical duels. It led to the opposition winning a series of loose balls in the middle of the park.
Jude Bellingham: 7/10
Jude Bellingham was once again the most impressive player for Borussia Dortmund. He looked like the most energetic player on the pitch and wasn’t afraid to call out his teammates for putting out bad performances. He even scored the all-important equaliser that sparked hopes of a comeback, but his commitment wasn’t reciprocated by the majority of his teammates.
Jude Bellingham, what a player. ✨
— Jadon Sancho (@Sanchooo10) February 24, 2022
Thorgan Hazard: 4/10
Thorgan Hazard offered very little creativity or threat in the final third. He often got isolated going forward and certainly doesn’t have enough quality to become a regular starter for Borussia Dortmund. He was subbed off by Reinier in the 69th minute.
Marco Reus: 4/10
Marco Reus deserves some flak for his rather lethargic display in the final third. He looked sloppy in possession and wasn’t sharp enough to make use of quick turnovers. The Dortmund captain also offered minimal creativity in the attack, leading to an ineffective display, which was made worse by a late knock that forced him off the pitch.
Julian Brandt: 2/10
Julian Brandt was one of the worst performers on the pitch, not only due to his poor performance but also due to his sheer lack of intelligence. His foul on Kent, in particular, may go down as one of the most unnecessary fouls in European football this season. It was combined with some truly unimpressive attacking play that eventually led to Dortmund’s demise.
I wanted to give Brandt a chance this season, I really did. he got that chance and he screwed it up plenty of times.
— RyKaB ツ ?? (@RyKaB17) February 24, 2022
Donyell Malen: 5/10
Donyell Malen offered a rather decent shift in the number nine role. He wasn’t as ineffective as one would hope, but the Dutchman was willing to make things happen in the final third. Unfortunately, he ran out of fuel as the game progressed and had to be subbed off during the final phase of the proceedings.
Substitutes
Marius Wolf: 3/10
Marius Wolf replaced the injured Meunier at half-time, which played a key role in nullifying all the momentum Dortmund had accrued heading into the interval. The former Frankfurt man looked horrendous with his build-up play, and his lack of quality was evident against the Rangers defenders.
Youssoufa Moukoko: 4/10
There were multiple calls to hand Youssoufa Moukoko the start against Rangers. But when the youngster did receive his opportunity, he made very little impact, often finding himself in rigid situations.
Reinier: 4/10
More often than not, the introduction of Reinier usually points to Dortmund giving up on their chances of a comeback. It was certainly the case against Rangers, with the Brazilian predictably offering very little the proceedings.
Steffen Tigges: 4/10
Much like Reinier, Steffen Tigges was introduced late on in the proceedings as Rose hopelessly aimed for a late fightback.
Axel Witsel: N/A
A late replacement for the injured Reus. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
