Well before the Friday hangovers were brewing among those who left Ibrox to chase them, the question was already being asked. In the terraces, out in the streets and in between the chants echoing through the inner and outer rings of Glasgow’s subway system, Rangers fans wanted to know - was this the greatest of European successes?
Theirs, of course. Celtic’s European Cup still occupies prime real estate in the domain of this city’s continental success. Even then, Rangers’ own Cup Winners Cup triumph in 1972, a year after the Ibrox disaster where 66 people lost their lives at an Old Firm game, resonated beyond the sport. Such proximity to a tragedy gives it a real-world context that perhaps a lot of what we celebrate in football could do with.
But if you can forgive a return to the fervour state of mind, you can see the logic of putting this night above others. They have just bested Borussia Dortmund: 4-2 at theirs, before a well-managed 2-2 draw in the return leg, albeit anxiously for large parts. The closest challenger to Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund. Established Champions League outfit, Borussia Dortmund. Favourites since dropping into this competition in December. A team in possession of the most sought-after striker in the world (who didn’t play any part), arguably the best 18-year-old midfielder there’s ever been, a squad teeming with international starters and a club persona so respected they could sell you an NFT.
For those in the ground and beyond, the memories of administration 10 years ago are still fresh. A year after liquidators were appointed to Rangers, Dortmund were contesting a Champions League final. Two of their former managers – Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel – have gone on to lift that trophy. Last November, Rangers lost a potential dynasty-realising coach to a side currently 13th in the Premier League. Even as defending Scottish champions, the gulf between the two is vast.
Typically for such nights, the crowd were given their props. James Tavernier, with two goals on the night and three in the tie, had to cup his ears to hear the questions posed to him pitchside by BT Sport. Ryan Kent, a key difference with his direct threat over both legs, lauded them as the 12th man. “When the fans turn up and give us that support and backing, there are not many teams that will fancy playing us,” beamed Ryan Jack. Even defeated coach Marco Rose, facing up to a prospect of a season running out of things to play for, credited “an absolutely great atmosphere” and was even a little wistful given Germany’s Covid restrictions have impinged on the usual levels reached at the Westfalenstadion.
But the heavy lifting was done on the pitch. Or more accurately, on the training pitches during the week.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst used the three days since the draw at Dundee United to hone an emergency 5-3-2. With his side trailing 2-1 at half-time, and Dortmund one away from making it 5-5 overall, he broke the glass. Leon Balogun replaced Borna Barisic, forming a central defensive trio with Connor Goldson and John Lundstram who dropped back from midfield. Calvin Bassey shifted to left wing-back. Further forward, Ryan Kent partnered Alfredo Morelos up front.
The resulting passage of play was emphatic and, ultimately, the clincher. Dortmund’s avenues into Rangers’ box were shut down, and it is hard to recall an opportunity they should have converted in the second period. By contrast, the hosts should have matched last week’s scoreline. They were devastating in transition, both Kent and Morelos had their chances, with VAR ruling out a perfectly reasonable goal when the latter won possession just beyond the halfway line and set-up the former to tap into an empty net. And the feather in van Bronckhorst’s tactical fedora was represented by the “deciding” goal that re-established the two-goal lead on aggregate, as one wing-back assisted the other.
That more or less summed up the difference. For all Dortmund’s man-to-man superiority, Rangers were better drilled, more efficient and, as reductive as it may be, very aware of how much more this meant to them.
“My message before the game was that this is a night we can make everyone proud who is involved in this beautiful club,” said a satisfied van Bronckhorst in his last press engagement before he was finally allowed to revel in what his team had achieved. “And we did.”
Into the round of 16, the opposition will not get easier. And as Jack stated in his press conference, a result of this magnitude means the rest of the competition “are going to look up and take notice”.
More immediately, Thursday will have nourishing qualities for Rangers domestically starting with Motherwell on Sunday as they look to overturn Celtic’s three-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership. But whatever trepidation may emerge from the prospect of a last-16 draw with Serbian champions Crvena Zvezda, the overarching feeling is one of anticipation of more times like these. Two more big nights await, and another Ibrox epic is on the horizon. At least.
