Borussia Dortmund to visit brave Rangers in Europa League

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Germany's Borussia Dortmund, who risked their UEFA Europa League quest after a shocking 4-2 loss to Rangers in the playoffs' first leg last week, on Thursday will visit Scottish team in a to be or not to be match in Europe.

The victory against Dortmund has encouraged Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men. Rangers will be the hosts this time.

Keeping an advantage for the next phase in the Europa League, Rangers will take on Dortmund in the second leg at Glasgow's Ibrox Stadium.

The match will start at 2000 GMT.

But in the domestic league, things went well for Dortmund last weekend.

The Black and Yellows – led by German attacking midfielder Marco Reus – were ecstatic on Sunday as Borussia Dortmund thrashed Borussia Monchengladbach 6-0 in a German Bundesliga match.

In the meantime, Rangers took a 1-1 draw against Dundee United in a Scottish Premiership match on Sunday.

Dortmund skipper Reus is currently in a fruitful season, scoring 13 goals in 33 appearances. The 32-year-old also made 13 assists for his club.

Rangers' Colombian forward Alfredo Morelos scored 17 goals in 34 matches in the 2021-22 season. He is one of the goal threats of the Scottish team.

In the first leg at Signal Iduna Park, Morelos put the ball into the Dortmund net once.

Rangers' English captain James Tavernier has drawn attention with his assist statistics.

Tavernier, who plays as a right back, made 14 assists in 37 matches this season. He also scored eight goals for Rangers.

Meanwhile, Tavernier scored the opener from a penalty kick against Dortmund last week.

Spain's Antonio Mateu Lahoz will officiate the match at Ibrox Stadium.

The winning team of this tie will qualify for the last 16, and the losing side will exit Europe.

The last 16 draw will take place on Friday in Switzerland's Nyon.

Crvena zvezda (Serbia), Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany), Galatasaray (Turkiye), Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), Olympique Lyon (France), Monaco (France), Spartak Moscow (Russia), and West Ham United (England) are the seeded teams in the last 16 draw.

These eight were the 2021-22 Europa League group winners so in December 2021 they directly qualified for the Round of 16.

- Thursday's Europa League fixtures:

First leg results in brackets

Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) - Sevilla (Spain) (1-3)

Real Sociedad (Spain) - RB Leipzig (Germany) (2-2)

Olympiacos (Greece) - Atalanta (Italy) (1-2)

Lazio (Italy) - Porto (Portugal) (1-2)

Napoli (Italy) - Barcelona (Spain) (1-1)

Rangers (Scotland) - Borussia Dortmund (Germany) (4-2)

Real Betis (Spain) - Zenit St Petersburg (Russia) (3-2)

Braga (Portugal) - Sheriff (Moldova) (0-2)