This definitely last game by Borussia Dortmund in a running cup competition looked like a reflection of the entire season so far.

There were good moments full of energy and hope for a memorable experience.

With some great soccer moments and two goals in the first half, BVB almost silenced the wild Ibrox Stadium and nurtured fantasies of a big European Cup night.

"We had them completely in the sack in the first half," said Mats Hummels.

The game, which finally ended with a disappointing 2:2, was characterized by gross individual mistakes and a massive drop in energy in the second half.

In the end, the Dortmunders were again faced with a well-known overall picture: BVB can play football at a good level, but only in phases and without the necessary consistency.

The fact that Dortmund were eliminated from the DFB Cup and the Champions League so early and now from the Europa League at the first opportunity will “strongly influence the overall picture as far as our season is concerned,” said coach Marco Rose, who was thoughtful and a little battered worked.

Because the team, those responsible and the fans had dreamed of titles in what was probably Erling Haaland's last year in Dortmund.

The disappointment was "great and will remain great," said Rose.

Does this football suit the team?

In the meantime things had looked quite good when Dortmund converted a 0:1 deficit into a 2:1 lead through goals by Jude Bellingham (31st minute) and Donyell Malen (42nd).

"We almost felt them," said Hummels, but perhaps the Dortmunders are just too often fooled by such fleeting impressions.

From the feeling that footballing class against many opponents is enough to win, even without a lot of dedication.

From the idea of ​​having an opponent under control after a strong phase.

From the idea of ​​finally being able to start a stable winning streak after two or three good games.

And so on.

In truth, the usual weaknesses could already be seen during the much stronger first half.

The imbalance in the behavior of Julian Brandt, who unnecessarily caused a penalty that the Scots used to take the lead, for example.

Or this lack of clarity and structure in the game, which is perhaps also inherent in Rose's pressing style.

He would "keep putting his finger on the wound to get clearer," announced the coach, and that sounded reasonable.

However, the fact that this coach has only been moderately successful in developing his ball-winning strategy since the start of the season and has to constantly stress his players in the process raises the question of whether this football suits this team.

To a team that, like in the first half, often tries very hard to do everything right, but never really seems stable and constant in this effort.

In Glasgow, Dortmund "had the whole second half" to "nibble" on a tactical switch by the Scots to a five-man chain," said Rose.

Such an inability to react to simple changes in opposition is a real problem for a team that would like to be among the top ten teams on the continent.

In the quarter of an hour after the break, BVB even fell back into this strange timid mode that often follows adversity, with the typical symptoms: Brandt made these strange turnovers in his own half, in midfield duels were lost that the team had at the beginning still won.

Captain Marco Reus made himself invisible, and precision and clarity were lost on the offensive.

So the story of this game worked according to well-familiar mechanisms.

Small measures taken by the opponent or two or three tough duels can throw Dortmund into a state of uncertainty.

The will was evident, but those players who claim special roles for themselves rarely manage to give their team structure and stability in the more complicated moments.

Hummels favored the 2:2 with a kick over the ball. Reus, who had shone with two goals and three assists last Sunday, never found the game and had to be replaced injured in the final phase.

"All in all, after 180 minutes, if you concede six goals and score four, then your opponent has deservedly reached the next round," was Rose's summary.

So far, this coach's work has simply not borne the fruit that everyone in Dortmund is longing for.