Soccer-Dortmund to face Rangers in Europa League without Haaland again

Coach Marco Rose said Dortmund needed to strike a balance between their defence and attack in the second leg against the Scottish champions at the Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow. "We shouldn't think too much," Rose told reporters on Wednesday. "We want to find the balance between attack and defence.

Borussia Dortmund will be without injured top scorer Erling Haaland once again when they play away to Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday, with the German team aiming for a comeback after a shock defeat in the first leg at home. Dortmund suffered a 4-2 defeat by Rangers without Haaland in the first leg of the knockout-stage tie last week, putting them on the brink of elimination.

Haaland has 23 goals in 20 matches in all competitions for Dortmund this season but the Norway international has missed their last four games after picking up a muscle problem. Coach Marco Rose said Dortmund needed to strike a balance between their defence and attack in the second leg against the Scottish champions at the Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow.

"We shouldn't think too much," Rose told reporters on Wednesday. "We want to find the balance between attack and defence. But especially looking back at the first leg, of course, it's clear: we have to attack."

Dortmund, one of Europe's powerhouses, had dropped into the second-tier Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League group. Captain Marco Reus, who scored two goals and provided three assists in their 6-0 Bundesliga win over Moenchengladbach on Sunday, said his side need to be aggressive.

"We have pressure but there are worse things," Reus said. "We are highly motivated and want to advance to the next round. In the first leg, we played a really bad game. We have to show a different face tomorrow."

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