February 25, (THEWILL) – On a dramatic night of football at Ibrox on Thursday, Glasgow Rangers completed a stunning aggregate victory to knock Borussia Dortmund out of the Europa League.
In a tense first half, Dortmund fought from behind to narrow the aggregate deficit, with 18-year-old midfielder Jude Bellingham playing a significant role.
When the ball suddenly fell at his feet, the England international struck the post from three yards out before shooting barely wide of Allan McGregor’s post from the edge of the box.
Rangers were granted an opportunity to increase their aggregate advantage out of nowhere when Julian Brandt stupidly dangled a leg and tripped Ryan Kent just inside the box, despite the visitors dominating the ball. From the penalty spot, James Tavernier made no mistake, slamming the ball into the roof of the net.
More superb work from Bellingham gave Brandt the chance to make amends right away, but McGregor palmed away the German’s thunderous drive.
Dortmund continued to fight back and were level immediately after the half-hour mark. Connor Goldson botched a straightforward clearance by slamming the ball against Bellingham, who sensed the chance and raced through on goal to slot the ball home calmly.
Rangers countered with a rare incursion forward, but Scott Arfield’s shot was straight at the goalie, and Alfredo Morelos’ rebound blast was magnificently blocked by Mats Hummels.
As his influence in the game grew, Donyell Malen forced a fantastic save from McGregor down the other end. Shortly before halftime, the Dutchman put Dortmund ahead for the first goal, expertly putting the ball into the bottom corner after Bellingham’s clever flick.
After finding space inside the penalty box, the Netherlands international should have added to Rangers’ deficit before the half-time break, but he could only drag his attempt wide.
In the second half, Rangers did not rest on their laurels, taking the game to their legendary hosts and reaping the benefits. Morelos shot a half-chance straight at the goalie, but a minute later, Kalvin Bassey’s cross miraculously drifted all the way to the back post and Tavernier was on there to smash in his second and the draw the game level.
Dortmund came the closest to retaking the lead on the night just after the hour mark when Marco Reus rounded McGregor but lost his feet and hit the side-netting.
Rangers thought they were in dreamland with just over 20 minutes left when Morelos robbed last man Emre Can of possession and ran through on goal before rolling it to Kent for a tap-in, but the referee harshly decided to bring play back for a foul after being told to check the pitch-side monitor by VAR.
In the end, Rangers held on for a stunning aggregate triumph, despite the odds.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
