Total loss in the consolation cup: After losing the Champions League, Borussia Dortmund failed even one floor down with a crash.
In the incredibly loud Ibrox Stadium, the committed but far too flawed BVB in the Europa League playoff at Glasgow Rangers was not enough to turn the embarrassing 2: 4 from the first leg 2: 2 (2: 1). It was the third cup knockout of the season, the image is damaged internationally.
“It’s a huge disappointment,” said Mats Hummels on RTL, “we were eliminated from a Champions League group in which we can’t be eliminated. Now we’re flying out of here, where we have to progress. We had them in the first half completely in the sack, they were nervous. But then we come out of the break very badly, I miss the ball and then the stadium comes back.”
Dortmund played courageously and offensively, they temporarily bought the Rangers’ cutting edge in front of 50,000 spectators and were not deterred by a deficit. After James Tavernier’s penalty kick (22′), Jude Bellingham (31′) and Donyell Malen (42′) hit back.
In the end, however, luck, skill and class were lacking – Mats Hummels beat Taverniers 2:2 (57th) fatally over the ball. The Scots are in the round of 16, which will be played on March 10th and 17th.
Bellingham with great commitment
Attacking in a controlled but energetic manner while balancing the defensive – Marco Rose commissioned his team for the “do-or-die game” (Marco Reus) with this masterpiece. The absence of the exceptional striker Erling Haaland, who was still injured, made things even more complicated. Sports director Michael Zorc was more explicit than his coach: “If they have balls, the team turns it,” he said in the style of Oliver Kahn.
BVB started well. On the slippery pitch, sodden by snow, hail and rain, the mighty Bellingham pushed the ball against the post in the fourth minute. Nico Schulz, substitute for first left-back Raphael Guerreiro, had previously won the corner kick. Schulz played next to the Dortmund emergency central defense Mats Hummels/Emre Can and returnee Thomas Meunier, who started on the right.
In a heated atmosphere at the Ibrox sanctuary, the Rangers held back and were more aggressive in the duels. BVB managed to impress the hosts with speed and a series of corners. But then Schulz lost the ball, Julian Brandt got Ryan Kent off his feet – the task developed in the direction of unsolvable.
Too many bad passes, BVB defense too vulnerable
Three minutes later, Brandt missed another big chance (25′). Everything seemed to be going against BVB until Connor Goldson gave Bellingham the equalizer with a bad pass error. Hummels was then lucky that he was shot on the goal line (35′).
In view of the many bad passes, there was still no question of the required control, but after Malen’s goal the result was almost right. The shocked Rangers, however, caught themselves noticeably after half-time: Alfredo Morales already had the 2:2 on his foot (56th), before Hummels made a bad mistake. The Rangers cheers made the entire stadium tremble.
The fact that the already stormy celebrated 2:3 (68 th ) was reversed after a foul on Bellingham gave the Dortmund team some hope.