Glasgow (AP) – Even before the start of the football miracle mission, there was the first setback. The Dortmund pros started their journey to Scotland without Erling Haaland.
Contrary to what was hoped, BVB will also have to do without the goalkeeper in the second leg of the Europa League on Thursday (9 p.m. / RTL) at Glasgow Rangers. That weighs as heavily as the 2:4 mortgage from the first duel. Nevertheless, sports director Michael Zorc made no secret of his expectations: “I said that if the team has balls, they turn the game. It’s halftime, we’re 2: 4 behind and have the task of turning it around. Everyone knows what that means.”
Witches’ Cauldron in Glasgow
The Bundesliga second faces an ultimate character test. Packed with 50,000 spectators and known for its heated atmosphere, Ibrox Stadion requires total commitment and mental stability. Neither is one of the greatest strengths of Borussia, known as a moody diva. Nevertheless, captain Marco Reus sounded unusually combative before the showdown in the witch’s cauldron: “We have a final, a fight awaits us – and we will be ready.” Competitor Julian Brandt put it in Westphalian blunt manner: “We have to try to spoon the shit out.”
The anger of the club bosses about the embarrassing 2:4 in the first leg has not yet evaporated. The 6-0 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach in the meantime doesn’t change that. Only a longer stay in the Europa League can help to alleviate the financial damage caused by the early knockout in the Champions League and improve the scratched image again. The Jew Bellingham, known for his great fighting heart, announced resolute resistance. “There isn’t a person in this dressing room who’s going to give up. I won’t let that happen,” the England international told BT Sport.
BVB coach Rose combative
A lot will depend on whether Borussia can get rid of their chronic weakness in defense. However, the absences of Manuel Akanji and Dan-Axel Zagadou do not make it any easier for coach Marco Rose in his search for more stability for his team. It is quite possible that he will again rely on a chain of three, as he did last time against Gladbach – with Marin Pongracic, who actually fell out of favor after disturbing interviews, as a Zagadou replacement. “To get two goals back in front of 50,000 spectators at Ibrox Park is a difficult task. But we’ll try to take the chance we have left,” commented Rose.
Rangers have lost just five of their last 30 European Cup games at home. It could be an advantage for BVB that the old UEFA European Cup arithmetic no longer applies. Because the number of away goals is no longer decisive in the event of a tie after two duels, a win with a two-goal difference is enough to qualify for extra time. Rose sincerely hopes that his moody team will not show their other, less beautiful face again after the 6-0 gala against Mönchengladbach: “It’s about the next step. How do we react to a game like this? Do we stay tuned? We have each other caught blows in the neck in too many games.”
The expected lineups
Glasgow Rangers: McGregor – Tavernier, Goldson, Bassey, Barisic – Jack, Lundstram – Arfield, Kent, Aribo – Morelos
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel – Can, Hummels, Pongracic – Wolf, Bellingham, Dahoud, Guerreiro – Hazard, Reus – Malen
Referee: Lahoz (Spain)