Rangers' high-pressing platform grants the upper hand in 'Cat and Mouse' Dortmund tie

“We were prepared tactically but also more importantly, mentally and we had the right attitude today to get a good result.”

Rangers beat Dortmund at their own game; dominating the moments of transition, outplaying the press and regaining the ball back in high areas.

"The game plan was to go there and be brave, trust in ourselves," Calvin Bassey commented following the tie.

It was as much a performance for the ages as it was a result.

From the opening minute, it became clear the visitors were in Germany to win, rather than keep the tie alive.

Notice Ryan Kent’s positioning here, instead of tracking the right-back Manuel Akanji he, like the rest of his team, overloads one side of the pitch to limit the space Dortmund can play in.

The ball is forced long and the defence has squeezed up, Connor Goldson wins his duel and possession turns over.

Instead of marking each player individually, the visitors controlled the space which allowed for an aggressive approach without the ball.

This pattern regularly repeated itself. The Ibrox outfit were organised and their high line limited routes forward, meaning Marco Rose's side were often forced to play into the areas Rangers wanted them to. 

READ MORE: Alfredo Morelos torments Dortmund as stunning Rangers performance invokes Lyon memories

Here, the hosts are fortunate to escape the pressure of Joe Aribo and Scott Arfield. As possession is moved left by Axel Witsel, James Tavernier commits forward to tackle Jude Bellingham instead of retreating, given the run of Raphael Guerreiro down the left, winning the ball first and then a free-kick.

In this scenario, Morelos senses an opportunity for his side to regain the ball so curves his run to show Dan-Axel Zagadou infield, a forced pass is intercepted with the high line deployed limiting options.

Of course, this approach carried with it a risk factor. If Marco Rose’s team could find their spare man quickly after being pressed, there was the opportunity to quickly play through the hosts before they could recover and exploit the underloaded side of the pitch.

On 26 minutes, Dortmund break Rangers’ press and as Kent closes down Hummels aggressively, Akanji is free to carry the ball forward.

Rangers’ back four is exposed as Marco Reus is picked out centrally, he then lays possession into Mahmoud Dahoud.

The ball is moved to the Dortmund left, where Rangers remain understaffed having pressed high up the pitch, and Reus should score from a cutback.

These occasions were a rare occurrence. More often than not, the visitors pressed intelligently and the risk of leaving a free man in favour of winning the ball paid off.

To summarise their approach, Rangers limited the space their hosts could play in through overloading and maintaining a high line while making aggressive decisions to try and win the ball back high. All of their goals can be attributed to these themes. 

Dortmund’s plan out of possession wasn’t dissimilar. Julian Brandt drifted off of the right touchline, as Kent did on the left, to create overloads infield as his side pressed aggressively on the turnover. However, van Bronkhorst's men played through pressure more effectively, found the free man with greater regularity and performed with a greater discipline without the ball.

Borna Barisic’s spurned chance on nine minutes was created through a combination of these actions.

Zagadou can play a pass through the pitch but the high line his side is facing leaves no room for error. Donyell Mallen’s ball into Jude Bellingham is untidy and Tavernier can regain the ball.

Dortmund posess good numbers around the ball and if possession is lost here, the situation could become precarious. However, Rangers' midfield pairing use the ball really well, Jack reverses into the path of Lundstram, Morelos offers an avenue forward before play is switched to find the free man.

With his side having escaped pressure, Barisic finds Kent before continuing his run, who can attack from the byline. Crucially, Julian Brandt does not follow the Croatian left-back and given Mats Hummels is dragged across to try and combat Kent, a gaping hole is left in the home defence.

The chance was missed and the mistake left unpunished, but it was a sign of things to come.

Throughout, Dortmund’s build-up was stunted by the pressure they faced while their opponents played through the high-block they faced superbly. Jack’s importance in this phase of the game cannot be overstated.

At all times there tended to be a free man available due to the mirroring approaches, van Bronckhorst’s visitors were better at finding theirs and blocking the opponent’s.

READ MORE: Why Rangers' win in Dortmund was Giovanni van Bronckhorst's Rocky Balboa moment

In this example, Brandt, like Kent, jumps up to press but not as effectively and Barisic, the free man, can be found to escape pressure.

Minutes later Bassey is composed to chip the ball over Brandt and again spread the play.

All of this promising approach play would be ruthlessly capitalised upon during a 15-minute period before and after the interval.

To open the scoring, possession was won high following a throw with Jack and Arfield winning successive duels and from the resulting corner a penalty was awarded.

The second goal arrived from a set piece as well, a quick transition down the right saw play eventually move to the left, where the visitors have an overload.

Barisic flashes a ball across the face of goal, Morelos tests the keeper and then scores from the subsequent corner.

These variables were even more pronounced for the third and fourth goals.

Tavernier attracts pressure with the game still 2-0 and then breaks it brilliantly, moving in from the right and allowing his side to, you guessed it, cause damage down their left.

Possession is worked wide to Kent, who beats three men expertly before assisting Lundstram’s stunner.

The Englishman would complete his excellent performance by winning the ball high up for the fourth, launching another counterattack.

Rangers took on Dortmund in their own back yard, at their own game, and were worthy winners. They pressed with more intelligence and intensity, made the game's clinical decisions in moments and won key battles all over the pitch.

For the new management staff this was a big win. A revitalised Morelos continues on the upward trajectory tracked to their arrival, Kent’s underlying numbers have been on the rise and his performance in Germany was arguably his best for the club. Most importantly, they appear to have learned from the Old Firm defeat just over two weeks ago.

After all, it was Rangers' move from passivity to pressure that gave them the necessary platform to down Dortmund.