Rangers vs Borussia Dortmund Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

Borussia Dortmund are seeking a famous turnaround as they take on Rangers on Thursday, in the second leg of the knockout stage.

Borussia Dortmund’s first leg defeat to 4-2 at the hands of Rangers at the Signal Iduna Park was one of the biggest upsets of the UEFA Europa League campaign this term. It brought about severe criticism from fans, with the coach and even the club bosses facing scrutiny regarding their poor performances in Europe.

Dortmund were indeed knocked out of the UEFA Champions League group stage during the first half of the campaign. They have been eliminated from the DFB Pokal as well, and the pressure will be immense on Marco Rose as his side travel to Ibrox on Thursday in an attempt to overturn a two-goal deficit.

With the abolition of the away goals rule, Dortmund only need a 2-0 victory to level the score, whereas a three-goal victory could see them advance directly into the Round of 16. The Black and Yellows already put on quite an exhibition in their last game, brushing aside Borussia Monchengladbach 6-0 at home, with captain Marco Reus being involved in five goals.

It was an ideal response to a catastrophic result, but things could get much trickier against a Rangers team awaiting them at the notorious Ibrox. History does side with Dortmund, as the last time Rangers blew a two-goal advantage going into a second leg was against the Bundesliga giants back in 1999.

Rangers were leading 2-0 in the first leg at Ibrox, but despite losing 1-0 in the second leg, they were on course to hold on to their advantage until Fredi Bobic’s 90th-minute strike led to extra time. Rangers eventually lost on penalties, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst, the current coach and Claudio Reyna, the father of Dortmund starlet Giovanni Reyna, two of three players to have missed the spot-kick for the Gers.

The Scottish champions will look to make sure that history does not repeat itself. And here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the two sets of teams ahead of their blockbuster encounter at the Ibrox this midweek.

Team News & Tactics

Rangers

Rangers will continue to deal with the absence of Ianis Hagi, who has been ruled out until the end of the season. January signing Aaron Ramsey also remains a doubt, along with former Bundesliga defender Leon Balogun. Even if they return in time for Thursday’s clash, neither of them are likely to be involved in the starting XI.

Both Scott Arfield and Ryan Kent had played well against Dortmund in the first leg. The two of them are thus set to continue on the flanks, providing support for Alfredo Morelos in Rangers’ frontline. There are enough options on the bench as well, including Manchester United loanee Amad Traore, whose dynamism and trickery could be useful in breaking the shackles of BVB.

Moving into midfield, van Bronckhorst has no reason to tinker with the terrific combination of Ryan Jack, John Lundstram and Joe Aribo as they look to maintain their stunning form. However, things could get a bit trickier as Dortmund are expected to go all out in search of two goals, so it will be imperative that these three midfielders break up the opposition’s rhythm in the middle of the park.

Ryan Jack, in particular, should play a pivotal role in offering cover for the defensive line led by Calvin Bassey and Connor Goldson. While Filip Helander remains an option, we expect Bassey to continue, given his recent performances. The two central defenders should accompany the full-backs Borna Barisic and captain James Tavernier in the Rangers back-four, as they look to shield veteran goalkeeper Allan McGregor.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Bassey, Barisic; Jack, Aribo, Lundstram; Arfield, Morelos, Kent

Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund suffered a massive blow heading into this game as star striker Erling Haaland has not been included in the trip to Glasgow. The Norwegian will miss out after failing to return to full fitness over the past week.

Haaland’s absence could once again pile on the pressure on new signing Donyell Malen to provide the goalscoring threat upfront, alongside his captain Marco Reus. Julian Brandt is the favourite to complete the Dortmund front three, given Gio Reyna picked up a knock against Gladbach at the weekend. However, it won’t be surprising to see Youssoufa Moukoko being given a surprise start ahead of Brandt.

Thorgan Hazard is another option, but Marco Rose might want to deploy him at right wing-back. Although Thomas Meunier has returned to the roster, the Belgian has not played much football this year, paving the way for his compatriot to retain his place in the lineup. Hazard and Raphael Guerreiro’s impetus going forward could be pivotal to Dortmund’s chance-creation.

Meanwhile, in midfield, Rose’s 3-4-3 shape should see Axel Witsel return to the bench. Jude Bellingham and Mahmoud Dahoud will form the double-pivot, hoping to play a key role in offering the transition from midfield to attack while keeping a lid on Rangers’ creative play.

Things get more interesting in defence, where Manuel Akanji and Dan-Axel Zagadou have both been ruled out due to injury. The onus will be on Mats Hummels to form the defensive trifecta alongside Emre Can and Marin Pongracic, a new-look BVB defence that will hope to find better luck in stopping the likes of Morelos, Arfield and Kent this midweek.

Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Kobel; Can, Hummels, Pongracic; Hazard, Bellingham, Dahoud, Guerreiro; Brandt, Malen, Reus

Key Stats

• Erling Haaland has scored 27 goals in 25 appearances in UEFA competitions, including four in five Europa League qualifiers for former club Salzburg. His absence will be a major blow for Dortmund.
• After Haaland (23 goals, six assists) and Marco Reus (13 goals, 13 assists), Jude Bellingham is Dortmund’s biggest attacking threat this season (five goals, 11 assists).
• Marco Reus is Dortmund’s record scorer in UEFA competitions with 21 goals. Erling Haaland has put away 15 since joining the club.
• Dortmund’s biggest away win in the Europa League/ UEFA Cup was a 3-0 triumph over Romania’s Craiova (6 November 1990). That scoreline will suffice at Ibrox if Rangers don’t score.
• Alfredo Morelos became Rangers’ all-time highest goalscorer in major European competition with 14 goals after scoring against Dortmund in the first leg.

Player to Watch

Marco Reus

Marco Reus has emerged as one of the most in-form German players in Europe right now, following a couple of excellent performances in the Bundesliga. He was notably the star performer in statement 6-0 win over Gladbach at the weekend, scoring a brace while providing a hat-trick of assists. He could have easily netted a hat-trick of goals but refused to take a late penalty.

Over the last two Bundesliga matches, Reus has been involved in seven goals. With an overall tally of 26 goal involvements, the Dortmund captain is currently the club’s second most productive player, behind Erling Haaland. And with the Norwegian sidelined for this clash, the onus will be on Reus to deliver the goods in the final third.

From a tactical perspective, Reus will be forced to operate out wide as Rose shifts to a 3-4-3 setup. However, it won’t be surprising to see the German international dropping into a central role, with Guerreiro occupying the left flank. It could pose a myriad of problems for the Rangers backline, who are not usually attuned to facing attackers of such high-quality week in week out.

Prediction

Rangers 2-2 Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund showed a lot of promise in their weekend win over Gladbach. Even without Erling Haaland, they have enough firepower in the attacking department to make life difficult for the Rangers’ defence. However, they could be bogged down once again by a leaky backline that often tends to struggle against sharp, counter-attacking sides.

Moreover, the Gers could also offer threat from set-pieces, which is one of many defensive weaknesses for Dortmund. In many ways, attack could be the best form of defence for van Bronckhorst’s unit, and it will be a surprise to see them fail to maximise their opponent’s defensive shortcomings.