Rangers surged into the Signal Iduna Park Stadum on a night when Germany was pummeled by Storm Ylenia, battering and breaking Borussia Dortmund’s fragile defenses.
This was a spectacular night for Scotland’s champions, who faced the Bundesliga’s second-placed team in their own historic stadium.
For the third consecutive season, the Ibrox side is on the verge of qualifying for the Europa League last 16 after scoring four goals in an incredible 16-minute run either side of half-time.
In the process, they achieved one of the best results for a Scottish club in Europe on foreign land.
Dortmund had a chink of light after a clobbering shot from Portuguese full-back Raphael Guerreiro gave them a 4-1 lead with eight minutes to play.
Dan-Axel Zagadou, the central defender, had a dreadful night, missing a sitter, giving up a penalty, scoring an own goal, and receiving a late booking.
On the other hand, the Ibrox club enjoyed several good evenings away from home under Steven Gerrard, with wins over Benfica, Porto, and Feyenoord.
James Tavernier penalty and a stunning Alfredo Morelos goal in the 41st minute placed Rangers two up before the break, with Ryan Kent taunting and teasing his opponents. They were in a fantastic position to advance after a third goal from John Lundstram and an own goal from the hapless Zagadou. Dortmund just had themselves to blame for squandering many excellent chances to take control of the game in the first half.
After 15 minutes, Zagadou was left entirely unmarked from a corner and managed to head a simple chance down and onto the turf while Connor Goldson went missing.
When Zagadou conceded an unnecessary penalty seven minutes before halftime, he showed he was just as helpless in his own penalty area.
When the ball was swung into a packed area, the Rangers players made no real claim. When the Video Assistant advised French colleague Clement Turpin to examine the monitor for a handball, play was moving back up the pitch.
The check was made quickly and decisively. Captain Tavernier sent Gregor Kobel the wrong way with a high, left-footed penalty kick into the net.
Blue shirts suddenly surged forward at will. Morelos made an immediate impact on the game when he won a corner with a low angled effort that the goalkeeper pushed over the post. Joe Aribo flicked the ball towards goal from Tavernier’s corner, but shambolic defense failed to pick up Morelos’ back-post run. Rangers had scored twice in three minutes as the Colombian was provided with a straightforward tap-in.
Dortmund, despite its lackluster performance, could have no complaints. Another opportunity squandered before the half-hour mark summed them up. Jude Bellingham, an Englishman, found space on the left flank for a low cross into the danger zone. Marco Reus, the biggest goal danger in the absence of Haaland, extended his foot to slot in before teammate Donyell Malen redirected the ball away from his toes.
Coach Marco Rose made a positive change at halftime, despite being two goals behind and having yet to push Allan McGregor into a stop. He had no choice. Axel Witsel, a Belgian international midfielder, was replaced by Gio Reyna, the son of former Rangers midfielder Claudio.
The young American needed to make a big impact if he was going to wreck a good night for the Rangers manager after whom he was named.
The tourists, though, were once again the focus of attention. Rangers ecstatically propelled their modest band of 500 fans into ecstasy with a wonderful third goal just four minutes after the break.
Lundstram has pleased to deceive since joining Sheffield United last summer, failing to justify his large salary. The quality of the strike, which fizzed into the corner of the net following exquisite wing play and an appealing lay-off from Kent, could not be questioned. Dortmund hit back within two minutes, giving Rangers reason to be concerned. They shaved off the extraneous detail and scored a goal. What a strike that was from Bellingham, the English teenager dragging his team off the canvas with a brilliant finish from 18 yards.
The Rangers’ fans fell silent for the first time all night, fearing an unlikely comeback from the home team. They didn’t have to be concerned. Dortmund were never going to keep the back door shut if they couldn’t stop a Downing Street knees-up.
VAR ruled in Rangers’ favor for the second time in the game. On this occasion, Morelos’ effort deflected off Zagadou and into the corner of the net. The goal appeared to be written out due to an offside flag at first.
The teams were ready for a Dortmund free-kick when the referee overturned the decision after consulting with the Video Assistant. It put a tin lid on Zagadou’s night in France.
Winning 4-2 on German territory against Bayern Munich, who were chasing the title, could never be considered a poor outcome. However, Guerreiro’s thunderous second goal for Dortmund eight minutes from time gave Allan McGregor no chance in his 100th European game. If Haaland returns for the second leg at Ibrox, it might give the Bundesliga giants a ray of hope.
Despite the evidence of a night when Rangers took them to the cleaners, it was a minor one.