Rangers face Dortmund in the first Europa League play-off round, travelling to Germany for the first leg. Jake Osgathorpe previews the game, selecting his best bet.
Dortmund floundered in the Champions League, losing heavily to Ajax twice and in a decisive showdown in Portugal with Sporting Lisbon.
The German giants are just six points behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, meaning they may not prioritise this competition, as many German sides tend to.
Marco Rose's side are missing Erling Haaland, but their attacking process remains impressive, averaging 2.02 xGF per game across their last eight league matches.
Kick-off time: 17:45 GMT, Thursday
TV Channel: BT Sport 2
However, their attacking exuberance comes at a cost, with BVB consistently looking all over the place defensively.
Across both the Champions League and the Bundesliga this season, Dortmund have allowed an average of 1.44 xGA per game.
On paper, this is one of the tougher ties Rangers could have drawn, an established force in one of Europe's top leagues.
The Scottish side are in a title race of their own, but have always taken European football very seriously.
Rangers finished the Europa League group stage on a four game unbeaten run, ending with a 1-1 draw at Lyon to secure second place.
Throughout the group stage, the Gers averaged 1.19 xGF, 1.10 xGA per game, but are yet to face an attacking threat quite like Dortmund.
The glimmer of hope for the Scottish champions is the weakness in the BVB backline, and the fact they get the second leg at Ibrox, meaning their aim in this leg is to still be in the tie heading into the second meeting.
There is a gulf between the two teams in terms of quality, and the hosts are expected to create plenty of good chances and score a few goals.
But, the visitors will get opportunities too, meaning DORTMUND TO WIN AND BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE is worth a small bet.
Both teams have scored in 75% of Dortmund's league and Champions League games this season, and that looks the way here.
Dortmund v Rangers best bets and score prediction
- 1pt Dortmund to win and Both Teams to Score at 9/4 (Sky Bet)
Score prediction: Dortmund 2-1 Rangers (Sky Bet odds: 7/1)
Odds correct at 1500 GMT (15/02/21)
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