Rangers vs Borussia Dortmund. UEFA Europa League Round of 32.
Ibrox StadiumAttendance47,709.
6-4
Match report from the Europa League knockout round play-off second leg between Rangers and Borussia Dortmund at Ibrox as Giovanni van Brockhorst's Gers advanced to the last-16 after a thrilling 2-2 draw (Agg. 6-4).
Friday 25 February 2022 06:55, UK
Rangers booked their spot in the last 16 of the Europa League after a thrilling 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund in the knockout round play-off second leg at Ibrox to win 6-4 on aggregate.
Given the fact Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men had stunned their opponents with a 4-2 win in the first leg at the Westfalenstadion last week, it was clear the tempo was going to be high from the start. And with an electric atmosphere inside Ibrox, the clash certainly lived up to expectations.
Rangers pressed high from the first whistle, but were soon put under the cosh and given a scare by last season's Champions League quarter-finalists inside five minutes when Jude Bellingham barged into the box and bundled the ball off the right-hand upright.
Against the run of play, though, the hosts were awarded a penalty midway through the first half. Ryan Kent was tripped in the box and captain James Tavernier stepped up to do the honours; he took one deep breath and smashed his spot-kick past Gregor Kobel.
But Dortmund were not to go quietly. Allan McGregor made a superb save that belied his 40 years to deny Julian Brandt, before Bellingham seized on an awkward attempted clearance from Connor Goldson to fire in a clinical equaliser.
Before the break, they added a second to lead on the night when Brandt's ball into the six-yard box was not cleared by the Gers' backline, allowing the lively Donyell Malen to prod in.
Van Bronckhorst brought on Leon Balogun in place of Borna Barisic at half-time and subsequently switched to a back five, which stumped the Bundesliga side. And just over 10 minutes after the break, Tavernier equalised for Rangers with his second of the night, lashing in a volley after connecting with an inviting cross from Calvin Bassey.
Shortly afterwards, Ibrox erupted for a third time when Alfredo Morelos led a breakaway and squared for Kent to roll in, but after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor, referee Mateu Lahoz ruled the goal out for a foul on Emre Can in the build-up, despite replays showing he had, in fact, gone to ground after tripping on Morelos' leg.
But it mattered little as Rangers held on for a famous victory.
While Ryan Kent turned in a performance of the absolute highest quality, it is hard to look past the Rangers captain, particularly given it was his two goals that helped the Gers through to the last 16 for the third season running.
As he so often does, he kept his cool under pressure to net the opener from the spot with aplomb, before hitting the sweetest of volleys from Calvin Bassey's left-wing cross to level the tie on the night and help his side advance.
Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst told BT Sport: "I think this is very important for everyone. I told the players it was a big moment for us as a club and we could make a lot of people proud with the performance we wanted - and we did. It was a difficult game again. We were 1-0 up, so it was a really good start and after we conceded two goals, at half-time I had to change the system to one we trained and have talked a lot about in meetings. I think that system worked really well for us in the second half.
"Especially at home, you want to have a good start and I think we were very unfortunate with the two goals. There were some moments where we could have cleared the ball. In the second half, with only a one-goal difference, I knew we had to change something to get much more solid defensively, but still keep the moments to be dangerous in the transition. With the speed of Ryan [Kent], Alfredos Morelos was much better at keeping the ball so we could move forward; we had more dangerous moments than Dortmund in the second half.
"It was a purely tactical decision [to take off Borna Barisic]. I said before the game we trained three different plans for today and this was Plan C, so we needed it. I knew beforehand, also with the score in mind, we had to have the scenarios in place ready to be executed - and the guys did really good.
"It is a very good performance and we are really happy to go into the next round. In the last 16, only top teams are left and we are really happy to be one of them."
Kris Boyd on Sky Sports News:
"It is an unbelievable result, not only for Rangers, but for Scottish football. I said last week it would send shockwaves through Europe, but to actually complete the job, get over the line and knock Borussia Dortmund out is an unbelieable achievement for Rangers.
"What I will say is that Jude Bellingham is a superstar in the making. He is only 18, but he has got the body of a man, the physicality of a man and he's a top player.
"The second half, a lot of credit has got to go to Giovanni van Bronckhorst. The first half, Borussia Dortmund were well on top and you felt as if there was only going to be one team going through. But they were able to change it at half time, go to a back five and put Morelos and Kent up front.
"It was a bad refereeing decision that has actually stopped them from winning the game tonight, so it has not been a fluke."
Sky Sports' Dan Long:
Borussia Dortmund had taken on the mantle as favourites to lift the Europa League after their surprise exit from the Champions League in December and so, when Rangers won 4-2 in the knockout round play-off first leg in the Westfalenstadion last Thursday, it was seen as a shock.
'Dortmund stunned' read the headlines and, to an extent, it was understandable to see why.
But in the return leg, Rangers showed this was no fluke. Of course, an excited Ibrox crowd played its part, spurring Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men on throughout, but they managed the game well and eventually nullified the threat of their opponents
Dortmund had crushed Borussia Monchengladach 6-0 in the Bundesliga prior to their trip to Scotland and, with a spring in their step, seized control of the game to narrow the aggregate score to 5-4 when Jude Bellingham and Donyell Malen struck to cancel out James Tavernier's penalty midway through the first half.
A switch to five at the back at the break proved to be a masterstroke. Dortmund seldom threatened Allan McGregor and were then pegged back when Tavernier added his second with a superbly executed volley at the back post. Rangers should have had another, but Ryan Kent's low finish was controversially ruled out by referee Mateu Lahoz.
The Gers have now reached the last 16 of the competition for the third season in succession and, after extinguishing the favourites by way of two professional performances, will fancy their chances of advancing even further.
Rangers are back in Scottish Premiership action on Sunday when they host Motherwell at Ibrox; kick-off 3pm.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund are also back to league action on Sunday when they travel to Augsburg in the Bundesliga; kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports Mix.
