How rampant Rangers ran riot in Dortmund to record one of their greatest ever away results

Rangers' Alfredo Morelos, left, is mobbed by his team-mates after he scored his side's fourth goal during the Europa League tie in Dortmund.

This is a victory that will raise eyebrows across Europe. Dortmund, second in the Bundesliga and normally found competing at the sharp end of the Champions League, were swept aside by a clinical Rangers performance, the finest under Giovanni van Bronckhorst since he arrived at the club in November last year.

This is only the first leg of the Europa League play-off round, but Rangers are now favourites to complete the job back in Glasgow in front of their own fans and reach the last 16 of the competition.

A penalty by James Tavernier, an Alfredo Morelos tap-in, a John Lundstram strike and an own goal by Dan-Axel Zagadou sealed Dortmund’s fate on home soil in what was their 1000th game at the Signa Iduna Park. Their last home match was a 5-2 reversal by Bayer Leverkusen on domestic duty and this was just as galling for Marco Rose’s men, even if the old stadium was only partially full due to coronavirus restrictions and without the famous yellow wall at the southern end of the ground.

Rangers' English midfielder John Lundstram celebrates in front of the delirious travelling fans.

While Dortmund created chances in an open game, it was Rangers’ lethal touch that stood out. In a 4-2-3-1 formation, they looked comfortable and confident from the very first whistle. Calvin Bassey was immense at centre-back, while Ryan Jack and Lundstram gave the visitors a solid base to build from. Ryan Kent and Joe Aribo’s movement stretched the bedraggled backline of Dortmund and Morelos led the line with aplomb, as he so often does on this stage.

Even before Tavernier opened the scoring, they should have been in front on ten minutes when Borna Barisic burst through, only to shoot straight at Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. He was only delaying the defending cinch Premiership champions, however.

Rangers’ opener came on 36 minutes when Zagadou was deemed by VAR to have handled the ball from a corner kick. Tavernier stepped up and coolly sent Kobel the wrong way.

The second goal came at a vital juncture, just before the break. Aribo flicked a corner towards the back post and Morelos timed his run into the six-yard box brilliantly, allowing him to tap home.

Dortmund's goalkeeper Gregor Kobel is left helpless as Rangers score four goals.

Rangers would have been forgiven for being conservative in second half, but they continued to press their hosts, sensing more goals were on offer. They weren’t wrong.

Lundstram fired the ball beyond Kobel on 49 minutes with a sumptuous left-footed finish after great work by Kent and while Jude Bellingham responded for the hosts just two minutes later, Rangers’ three-goal lead was restored on 54 minutes when Morelos’ ball into the box was diverted past his own goalkeeper by the hapless Zagadou to send the 500 travelling Rangers fans delirious.

Dortmund, who clearly missed the prowess of injured Erling Haaland in attack, regained a semblance of composure and put some mild pressure on Rangers, which resulted in a Raphael Guerreiro strike from outside the box leaving Allan McGregor rooted to the spot with eight minutes remaining.

While that goal makes Dortmund’s task slightly less daunting when they travel to a packed Ibrox in a week’s time, and they are likely to have their talisman Haaland available, Rangers go into the second leg in a position of great strength following an unforgettable night in Germany.

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