Borussia Dortmund’s 6-0 response, the 'Bundesliga tax' and Rangers' control blueprint

Borussia Dortmund’s display was the emphatic response Rose required, with Sky Germany reporting that the club’s hierarchy held crisis talks with their head coach following Thursday’s defeat.

However, the game doesn’t reveal anything that Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his team won't have already known about their opponents and shouldn’t provoke fresh concern.

As detailed prior to the first leg by the Rangers Review, Dortmund under Rose can outscore teams and win games in transition but have suffered teething problems adapting to the manager’s pressing demands, leading to a defensive vulnerability witnessed all season.

They switched to a back three once more at the weekend as Emre Can and Thorgan Hazard played from the start.

According to FBRef, Dortmund led the game 3.4 to 0.9 on xG, demonstrating the inflated score as the visitors continued to attack when behind and succumbed to three late goals. Monchengladbach have endured a particularly poor season and sit 13th, having conceded 46 goals in 23 matches.

Just like Rangers’ trip to Tannadice, the context of Dortmund’s league tie differs from the European match in midweek. Van Bronckhorst’s team will likely focus more on ‘controlling’ their opponents when they look to spring an attack than Monchengladbach. 

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It was an area James Tavernier highlighted as a key component of Rangers' performance in Germany. Not only did they attack Dortmund brilliantly, but the Ibrox side also blunted their opponent's best attributes.

While their victory was impressive on Sunday, Rose's team won out in a classic, transitional, Bundesliga affair. While Rangers will have to attack tomorrow they will defend in a far more intentional manner. 

In the past, some studies have suggested a ‘Bundesliga tax’ may exist in a bid to asterisk players’ success in the German top-flight. Take Jaden Sancho’s comparable form in the Premier League compared to his time at Dortmund as an example.

However, this is not a discussion involving the English Premiership and the Bundesliga’s relative quality. There is of course no doubt that regardless of its standing in Europe’s top 5 leagues, the German league is world’s ahead of the Scottish Premiership in relation to quality.

Football writer Grace Robertson raises an interesting point regarding its unique style, however.

“Maybe the “tax” is about tactical differences as much as anything else. People always talk about the Premier League’s 'pace' and 'intensity', but I think that’s a misnomer. The Bundesliga is nothing if not fast. I always remember [Timo] Werner talking in his first post-match interview at Chelsea about how he’d never faced three centre backs the size of Brighton’s before. The Premier League is more physical, and it uses that physical advantage differently.”

Perhaps the Bundesliga is unique when it comes to the tactical backdrop, with high-pressing and ambitious coaches more focused on imprinting their ethos as opposed to stopping opponents. There is more opportunity to play transitional, or counterattacking, football due to the space on show.

Dortmund only scored one goal in transition at the weekend. Another derived from a defensive error and the sixth a penalty. Three were tidy moves through the midfield that demonstrated how deadly the central overloads they target can be, but they weren't facing a compact opponent. 

In this scenario, as the ball is played into Donyell Malen with Monchengladbach’s press having been broken, their high line has no protection.

All it takes is a simple one-two for the home side's No.21 to race into the space behind and score.

Later in the game, Mats Hummels takes the ball from his keeper and has the freedom of the pitch to drive into, due to the visitor's poor defensive structure.

Marco Reus’ curved run beyond the defence is found and a fifth goal is added.

Last week, there was a more concerted effort to limit the space Dortmund could play within.

Rangers remained compact when play moved from side to side, condensing the space to play within.

Notice Ryan Kent here closes the pitch as play is forced long, because the space Dortmund have to operate in has been limited.

Comparison of the pass networks from the fixture further outlines this. See the lack of width utilised by the hosts compared to Rangers’ wide approach in possession.

This tactic had its own downfalls. Either home goal came from Rangers overcrowding certain areas of the pitch.

As Borna Barisic makes a tackle in the box with the game at 3-0, by closing down avenues on the left van Bronckhorst's side are vulnerable down their right.

As play is moved from left to right, Jude Bellingham has room to score.

Similarly, ahead of Raphael Guerreiro's strike, four visiting players look to close down an attack on their right. Leaving space for Dortmund to attack them on their left.

READ MORE: Amad Diallo has time to flip the Rangers script - just look at the lesson of John Lundstram

Guerreiro does really well to work the ball into a good area but benefits from the midfield being out of joint.

Dortmund possesses the ability to outscore most teams in world football, of that there is no doubt. And even though every Rangers player carried out defensive responsibilities brilliantly last week, the Germans still had the quality to find the net on two occasions. 

However, Rangers have the blueprint for success in recent memory. They need to play fast on the counter and control Dortmund's efforts to do the same.