Without Erling Haaland on their side, Borussia Dortmund did not have a strong reply when the Scottish side beat them for four goals in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League playoffs. The German side returned two goals. But they would have wished that Haaldn was on the XI, which would have helped them score more goals.
The German club dropped down from the Champions League after finishing third in Group C, missing out on a second place by goal difference, as Sporting Lisbon and Ajax finished above them.
Before the first leg, these two teams have not faced each other since the 1999-00 season, which makes this a fresh match-up, and the Gers have been able to progress in 10 out of their 14 most recent two-legged fixtures in the Europa League or UEFA Cup.
Last Thursday, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side stunned the Europa League when they defeated their German rivals 4-2 at Signal Iduna Park.
The home team come into this on the back of another disappointing result in the Premiership. Rangers were held 1-1 away to Dundee United. That result means Giovanni van Bronckhorst‘s side have won just three of their seven league matches on return from the winter break. The Bears did, though, pull off a magnificent 4-2 defeat of Borussia Dortmund in Germany last week in the first leg of this tie. Dortmund followed that up by hammering Borussia Monchengladbach by six goals to nil – three days and two matches that sum up Marco Rose’s side.
Borussia Dortmund have lost four of their seven away matches against Scottish sides in European competition (W2 D1), although this is their first visit since November 1999 in the UEFA Cup, a 2-0 defeat to Rangers. Their two wins have come against Celtic (1992, UEFA Cup) and Motherwell (1994, UEFA Cup).
Only once previously have Borussia Dortmund lost both legs of a two-legged knockout tie in the UEFA Cup/Europa League, losing home (1-3) and away (0-3) against Juventus in the 1992/93 UEFA Cup final.
Possible line-ups
Rangers: McGegor; Tavernier, Goldson, Bassey, Barišić; Jack, Lundstram; Arfield, Aribo, Kent: Morelos
Dortmund: Kobel; Akanji, Hummels, Can, Guerreiro; Dahoud, Witsel; Brandt, Reus, Bellingham; Malen
Form guide:
Rangers
Last six games (all competitions, most recent first): DWWWWL
Where they stand: 2nd in Scottish Premiership, Scottish Cup quarter-finals
Dortmund
Last six games: WLWLWL
Where they stand: 2nd in Bundesliga
When: Thursday 24 February (21:00 CET kick-off)
Where: Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow, Scotland
What: UEFA Europa League knockout round play-off (Rangers won first leg 4-2)
Winners: Advance to UEFA Europa League round of 16; losers exit Europe
