Former Rangers and Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Stefan Klos doesn’t believe the Bears will get anything out of their Europa League knockout round first leg this evening.
Klos claims that the only way that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side can get a result is if Dortmund play as badly as they did in their German Cup defeat to second-tier St Pauli last month:
“As a native of Dortmund, black and yellow blood naturally still flows through my veins. But the Rangers have also grown on me. The better one should just win. Borussia have the stronger individual players. The decisive factor, however, is whether they also bring this quality to the field. [Unless] it doesn’t happen like with St. Pauli – as it did recently – Rangers don’t stand a chance.”
Since that loss to St Pauli, Dortmund have played three games: a 3-2 victory over Hoffenheim, a 5-2 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen and a 3-0 win against Union Berlin.
Their defence does look shaky, and it is definitely something that the Gers can take advantage of, especially if, as Klos mentions, Dortmund have a bad day at the office.
Rangers do, however, have some defensive issues of their own. Leon Balogun has been ruled out for the game, and Filip Helander is not in the Europa League squad so Calvin Bassey may have to deputise at centre-half. There is one piece of good news, though, with Ryan Jack having returned to full fitness.
