BVB is still missing this title. After success in the Champions League (1997) and the former cup winners’ competition (1966), the Revierclub would like to complete the collection with a triumph in the Europa League. First hurdle are the Glasgow Rangers.
Borussia Dortmund starts with great ambitions in the Europa League. After the early end of the Champions League, the second-placed Bundesliga team wants to prove in the first leg of the second round against Glasgow Rangers on Thursday (6.45 p.m.) that they still have a strong international team.
“We want to get through to the next round,” said coach Marco Rose, hoping to stay in the competition for a long time – preferably until the final in Seville in mid-May.
Starting position: For BVB, the sixth Champions League participation in a row was sobering. Third place in a supposedly easy group behind Ajax Amsterdam and Sporting Lisbon sealed relegation to the smaller European competition. In the Europa League, Rangers, second behind Lyon, missed the direct entry into the round of 16.
Comparison: The previous record with the Rangers does not bode well for BVB. In a direct duel, the Scots have the edge. They won three of the eight games. The Revierclub, on the other hand, have only triumphed once – but that was in their last meeting in 1999/2000 in the third round of the UEFA Cup. With a 2-0 win in front of their own fans, Dortmund forced a penalty shoot-out, which they won 3-1.
Staff: At BVB, the wait for Erling Haaland’s comeback continues. The goalscorer will miss his team for the third time in a row due to persistent problems in the adductor area. In addition, the suspended Emre Can and the injured Marius Wolf are not available. On the other hand, Giovanni Reyna returns to the squad after recovering from an upset stomach.
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Schmonzette: BVB professional Reyna and Rangers coach van Bronckhost have the same first name – Giovanni. It’s not a coincidence. Reyna’s father Claudio once played with the Dutch football teacher in Glasgow and chose his first name for his son. “I’ve known Gio his whole life, he was named after me,” revealed van Bronckhost.
The anecdote also made BVB coach Marco Rose smile: “It’s cool that there’s something like that in football too. I’m assuming that Gio will show his namesake what he’s learned over the years if he does a possible assignment.”