European round-up: Rangers produce great performance in stunning Borussia Dortmund win
A round-up of Thursday's European action, as Borussia Dortmund were stunned by Giovanni van Bronckhorst's Rangers side in Germany.
Borussia Dortmund 2-4 Rangers
Rangers produced one of the club’s greatest European performances with a stunning 4-2 Europa League knockout round play-off first-leg win over Borussia Dortmund.
In an incredible encounter in the Westfalenstadion, Gers captain James Tavernier scored a VAR-awarded penalty for handball in the 38th minute before striker Alfredo Morelos knocked in the second three minutes later.
There were only 10,000 fans inside the ground due to local Covid-19 restrictions and the 9,500 home supporters could barely believe what they were witnessing as Light Blues midfielder John Lundstram guided in a third after 49 minutes, only for England’s teenage international Jude Bellingham to pull a goal back for the German giants a minute later.
Morelos’ drive from 12 yards was helped in by home defender Dan-Axel Zagadou – who conceded the penalty – to stretch the Scottish champions’ lead again before Raphael Guerreiro’s 82nd minute counter made it 4-2, which leaves Giovanni Van Bronckhorst’s men with the advantage going into the return game at Ibrox next Thursday.
Leicester 4-1 Randers
Leicester are on track for the Europa Conference League last 16 after beating Danish outfit Randers 4-1 at the King Power Stadium in the first leg of their play-off tie.
The Foxes, playing in this competition after finishing third in their Europa League group, took the lead through a 23rd-minute Wilfred Ndidi effort before the visitors sprung a surprise by equalising in the 45th minute via captain Vito Hammershoy-Mistrati.
Harvey Barnes put Brendan Rodgers’ men back in front four minutes after the break, and Patson Daka and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added finishes in the 55th and 74th minutes respectively.
A worry towards the conclusion of what proved a comfortable victory in the end – halting a run of five games without a win in all competitions – was seeing substitute James Maddison and Caglar Soyuncu having to come off due to injury.
Celtic 1-3 Bodø/Glimt
Celtic’s hopes of a European run suffered a major blow with a 3-1 home defeat against Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt.
The visitors’ league season does not kick off until April but it was Celtic who looked out of sorts in the first leg of the Europa Conference League knockout round play-off.
Goals early in each half from Runar Espejord and Amahl Pellegrino put the visitors in command and Celtic conceded two minutes after Daizen Maeda had headed a 79th-minute lifeline.
Hugo Vetlesen’s deflected effort gives Celtic a mountain to climb when they head to the Arctic Circle next week.