Getting eliminated from the UEFA Champions League was a low blow for Borussia Dortmund. However, the German side is now the soccer betting favorite to dethrone Villarreal in the UEFA Europa League at +550. That’s huge because this edition includes Barcelona, Atalanta, Napoli and Sevilla.
The road to the Grand Finale won’t be easy, though. Dortmund’s journey begins against Rangers. Combining the UEL and the Scottish Premiership, the Rangers have only lost four of 34 games.
Borussia Dortmund vs Rangers Europa League Playoffs
New Era
Erling Haaland won’t leave until the end of the season. However, Borussia Dortmund needs to start forgetting about him right now. The Norwegian is out due to injury, leaving Donyell Malen as the team’s only center forward to face Rangers.
Winning the UEL would be the perfect way for Dortmund to start a new era. That would prove that the team is so much more than one player. Let’s not forget that Dortmund’s roster also includes Marcos Reus, Jude Bellingham and Julian Brandt, to name a few.
They’re here due to their goal-differential during the Champions League Group Stage. Dortmund and Sporting Lisbon finished with nine points. However, the Portuguese side finished with a goal-differential of +2 while Dortmund was -1. Their meeting in Portugal was crucial.
Winning without Haaland isn’t impossible, in fact, they just did. Last Sunday, Dortmund went to Berlin and defeated FC Union Berlin 3-0. Reus was the Man of the Match after scoring twice in the first half. Defender Raphael Guerreiro sealed the deal in the second half.
That victory was a boost of confidence. Also, it was enough for them to remain as huge betting online favorites for this game at -275. Imagine the price with Haaland, Thomas Meunier (also injured), and Emre Can (suspended) available.
Borussia Dortmund’s projected lineup: Gregor Kobel; Manuel Akanji, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Mats Hummels, Raphael Guerreiro; Jude Bellingham, Mahmoud Dahoud, Axel Witsel; Marco Reus, Julian Brandt, Donyell Malen.
Visitors Not Fooling Around
Last season, Rangers won the Scottish Premiership without losing a single game. Despite losing head coach Steven Gerrard to Aston Villa, Rangers has ound a way to remain competitive.
Domestically, the Rangers sit in second place thanks to a 19-5-2 record, only one point behind Celtic. Regarding the UEL, they defeated Alashkert in the preliminaries. Later, they finished as the runners-up in Group A.
Their last Group Stage game was against Lyon, on the road and they managed to draw 1-1. No other team scored more goals than Lyon with 16, so it was a very good result. It also shows that the Rangers are not afraid of anything or anyone.
Even so, knowing there’s always some room for improvement, they recently signed Aaron Ramsey. The midfielder, who also played for Arsenal and Juventus, brings a lot of experience to the table. That’s very valuable, especially in these instances.
Just like Dortmund, the Rangers won their previous game 3-0. They defeated Annan Athletic in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup. That means Rangers could still win the treble. That’s the underdog (+750) you would be including in your soccer picks.
There are no major injuries nor suspended players to report here. Rangers projected lineup: Allan McGregor; James Tavernier, Leon Balogun, Connor Goldson, Calvin Bassey; Glen Kamara, Aaron Ramsey, John Lundstram, Joe Aribo, Ryan Kent; Alfredo Morelos.
Borussia Dortmund vs Rangers Head to Head
- Previous Matches: 8
- Borussia Dortmund Victories: 1 (7 goals)
- Rangers Victories: 3 (10 goals)
- Draws: 4
It’s been awhile since these two met. It was in the third round of the 1999-2000 edition of the UEFA Cup. That’s how the UEL was previously known. The first leg ended with a 2-0 victory for Rangers, while Dortmund won the second one 3-1. The German side managed to advance after winning an intense penalty shootout.
Overall, the Rangers own an 18-17-19 record against German teams. On the other hand, Dortmund is 6-4-4 against Scottish teams.
Borussia Dortmund vs Rangers Information
- Date: Thursday
- Time: 12:45 p.m. ET
- Location: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
- Borussia Dortmund vs Rangers Live Stream: fuboTV
Borussia Dortmund vs Rangers Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Borussia Dortmund | -1½ Ev | -275 | 3-105o | 2½+140o 2½-170u |
| Rangers | +1½ -130 | +750 | 3-125u | ½-145o ½+115u |
| Draw | +420 |
Borussia Dortmund vs Rangers Prediction
Yes, Haaland is out, but that doesn’t change the fact that Borussia Dortmund is the better team. Malen needs to start proving its worth, at least if he wants to remain the starter next season.
The Rangers will heavily rely on the counter-attack. That formula has led them to a 2-3-1 record when playing on the road in the UEL knockout stage. This time, it will be enough for them to score and cover. That’s right, go ahead and include the Scottish champion in your sports betting ticket.
Score Prediction: Borussia Dortmund 2, Rangers 1
