'European lightweight' - How Rangers' win over Dortmund was reported by the German press

Rangers made headlines across Europe after knocking Borussia Dortmund out of the Europa League, but it was the failure of the tournament favourites that dominated the German press.

The pulsating 2-2 draw at Ibrox in Thursday evening’s second leg – which secured a stunning 6-4 aggreggate win for the Scottish champions – was looked upon as a disaster for the side currently sitting second in the Bundesliga.

Bild newspaper slammed the team for “making a fool of themselves” for failing to reach the last 16 of a competition they were expected to win after dropping out of the Champions League in December following their third-place group finish.

“First out of the Champions League, then out of the DFB Cup and now also the disaster in the Europa League - and that before the round of 16. It couldn't be worse!”, they wrote.

Borussia Dortmund players at full time after being knocked out the Europa League by Rangers following the 2-2 draw at Ibrox. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

BVB reporter Jörg Weiler, who has been reporting on the club for more than 21 years, demanded severe consequences, stating the club should “put seven to eight players out in the fresh air” but backed coach Marco Rose, adding: “You have to protect him. When the team makes so many individual mistakes, a coach is powerless.”

Suddeutsche Zeitung reporters were less sympathic towards the Dortmund boss, stating: "Rose suffered his third disgrace in his first season in Dortmund: being eliminated from the Europa League as well. That doesn't help his already shaky standing.”

They also reported on the match atmosphere, adding: “Glasgow's Ibrox Stadium is an institution. According to well-travelled fan experts, there is the best football atmosphere in the world. Dortmund would object that this is hardly possible because the best atmosphere prevails in the [Westfalen] stadium. There, in front of the corona-related meager crowd of 10,000 spectators, they had embarrassingly lost the first leg a week earlier. Now they should have fixed it in the fully occupied Ibrox. A hell of an undertaking.”

Die Welt branded Dortmund a “European lightweight” after failing to overturn the first leg deficit. “There is only one conclusion: The once proud Champions League winner is only a European lightweight,” they wrote.

“Once again, the team made too many slight mistakes.” Above all, [Mat] Hummels' unsuccessful attempt at defense before the 2:2 took away the momentum of Borussia.”

Rangers learn draw for last 16 of Europa League

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