Understanding Alfredo Morelos' Europa League impact and the skills Rangers need to replace

Only Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (34) and Henrik Larsson (40) stand in the way of supremacy in the competition for the Colombian and, depending on his future at Ibrox or elsewhere, you would certainly bank on him breaking the record soon.

Rangers have enjoyed great success in the Europa League since returning to the competition in 2018/19, with Morelos responsible for much of the team’s success in navigating both the qualifying rounds and group stages.

The Ibrox men will have to do without his qualities for the remainder of their campaign but to understand how Rangers will have to change to accommodate the loss of their chief goal threat, first we must look at exactly why he’s been so successful in this competition.

Success from crosses

The sight of Morelos meeting a delivery from wide flush in the penalty area has become synonymous with Rangers’ success in the Europa League.

Indeed, just under 20 percent of the Colombian’s goals in the competition have been scored with his head.

This is in no small part down to the crossing quality Rangers boast in the full-back areas – Borna Barisic’s deliveries became a huge weapon in the Gers’ arsenal under Steven Gerrard – but it is equally an endorsement of Morelos’ penalty box prowess.

One of Morelos’ best assets when meeting crosses from the wide areas is his ability not to overcomplicate his movement. The Colombian is stubborn in his refusal not to stray from the width of the posts, which simplifies his finishing action.

If we take a look at the Colombian’s header to win the tie against Legia Warsaw in the final qualifying round in 2019/20, it is Morelos’ patience in the danger area which pays off.

When Jordan Jones isolates his defender, the Colombian is keen not to make his darting movement too early.

Instead, Morelos sets himself centrally, in the space between the two Legia Warsaw central defenders, and waits for the cross.

By staying positioned within the width of the posts, it means that, even with the cross drifting slightly behind him, Morelos is able to make a glancing movement to guide the ball into the bottom corner.

This trait is also evidenced in the Colombian’s header against Midtjylland in 2019/20.

Morels is outnumbered in the penalty area when James Tavernier prepares to deliver his cross from the right.

Many forwards would alter their run to create space, but the Colombian is patient and trusts the quality of Tavernier’s cross.

He remains central and so, when the Midtjylland central defender is caught under the ball, Morelos does not have to contort his body to keep his header on target for a straightforward finish.

Creating separation

In European games where there is more space afforded than in domestic clashes, Morelos is adept at utilising those pockets of space to maximise goalscoring opportunities.

Indeed, the Colombian is excellent at creating separation from defenders when they are in their most vulnerable defensive state.

If we look at one of Morelos’ most impressive Europa League strikes, in the 2-0 win at Ibrox over Porto, the Colombian is able to fashion a shooting opportunity out of relatively little.

When Ryan Jack receives the ball on the right touchline, Porto’s central defensive pairing collapse back to defend their penalty area.

However, instead of moving into the penalty box to position himself for a cross, Morelos peels away into space.

By creating separation from his marker, the Colombian is then able to receive with time and space.

This intelligent movement in the penalty area is at odds with Morelos’ general approach in open play where he thrives on contact with defenders. It perhaps explains why opponents have struggled to contain the Colombian’s threat in the penalty area, with Morelos preferring instead to peel away from defenders.

The forward’s second goal in Rangers’ 2-2 draw in Feyenoord back in 2019 underlined his ability to manipulate his marker.

As Ryan Kent receives the ball, Morelos is positioned at the far post out of shot.

When the winger shapes to deliver the cross, Morelos makes his movement across his marker.

However, he halts his momentum before spinning round the back to create separation against the defender.

The cross is delivered towards Morelos and, with time and space at the far post, he is able to guide his header back across goal.

Physical prowess

As noted, Morelos’ general open play approach in European ties for Rangers has been underpinned by his impressive physicality.

As the Rangers Review highlighted in our assessment of the Colombian’s link-up play previously, defenders face a dilemma when dealing with Morelos’ physicality. By engaging with him physically, they run the risk of being spun and left out of position, while dropping off allows the Colombian to receive under little pressure and progress Rangers into more dangerous positions.

Young Boys discovered this to their detriment in the 2019/20 group stages, with Morelos opening the scoring in a solo effort of sheer strength and composure.

As Barisic plays a direct pass into the Colombian’s feet, the Young Boys central defender looks set to easily shepherd Morelos out wide.

However, the Colombian feels the contact from his marker and spots an opportunity to leverage his physicality.

Morelos leaves his marker on the floor, turning a direct pass into a dangerous one-on-one scoring opportunity.

Of course, opposition in Europe have grown wiser to the Morelos conundrum, but the Colombian still poses a headache in situations where Rangers’ opponents are forced to chase the game.

Opposition defences are usually forced to play higher as they seek to recover the ball earlier, which plays into Morelos’ hands as he can invite the physical pressure.

As seen in the example below with Rangers 2-0 ahead against Sparta Prague, Morelos is able to gain territory for Rangers at a key stage of the game by rolling his overzealous marker.

Indeed, in the 4-2 win over Borussia Dortmund in Germany where the Colombian was directly involved in two Rangers goals, Morelos engaged in 44 duels. His average across the last four seasons in the Europa League was 27, with the Bundesliga side forced to engage with the Colombian as they chased a three-goal deficit in the second half.

It's clear Morelos has been nothing short of a force of nature for Rangers in European competitions, providing a consistently dangerous focal point at the top of the attack.

The Colombian has displayed his vast array of goalscoring qualities across his 32 strikes, underlining his strength and ability to identify space.

Without him, Giovanni van Bronckhorst will have to change the style of play. Nobody in the current squad can replicate what he brings to the table. Kemar Roofe is a better finisher, Cedric Itten taller and Ryan Kent would certainly be a quicker option but none have the whole package like the man from Cerete.

Rangers will hope their talisman can continue his goalscoring exploits in a loftier European competition in the Champions League next season but, regardless of where Morelos ends up in his career, the Colombian will always be synonymous with the Europa League and a very enjoyable chapter in the club’s history.