Chelsea reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday evening. Manager Graham Potter’s team won 2-0 at home against Borussia Dortmund, brushing away the 1-0 defeat of three weeks ago. The goals came in the name of Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz. Referee Danny Makkelie claimed a leading role around that second goal, because he had Havertz’s missed penalty taken again. The game started ten minutes later than scheduled due to traffic problem around Stamford Bridge.
On the side of Chelsea, there were four different players at the kick-off than during the first leg. Thiago Silva was absent due to an injury, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mykhailo Mudryk and Hakim Ziyech had to settle for a place on the bench. As a result, there was a starting place for Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Mateo Kovacic and Sterling. Dortmund had to do without the injured Gregor Kobel, leaving Alexander Meyer under the crossbar. Karim Adeyemi, who scored the only goal in Dortmund three weeks ago, was also missing due to an injury. Marco Reus therefore started as left winger, while Donyell Malen started on the bench.
???????????? ???????????????? ?? Chelsea is also off the hateful zero in the diptych, 1-0?? A great goal from the Englishman ??#ZiggoSport #UCL #CHEBVB pic.twitter.com/OSuiw9GGYa
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) March 7, 2023
Chelsea pressed hard in the opening stages, knowing they had to clear a deficit, and had quite a few chances. For example, Havertz hit the inside of the post after half an hour, a volley from Kovacic went just wide and a beautiful goal from Havertz was rejected because Sterling had previously been offside. Dortmund was most dangerous via a free kick from Reus, which was beautifully turned by Kepa Arrizabalaga. Despite the chances for Chelsea in particular, both teams seemed to rest with the glasses position on the board, but Sterling decided otherwise. After a good cross from Ben Chilwell, the British winger initially missed the ball. However, he got a second chance, and shot in hard: 1-0.
???????????????? ???????????? ?? Kai Havertz doesn’t shoot him in at first, but then.. Chelsea at 2-0??#ZiggoSport #UCL #CHEBVB pic.twitter.com/Wc23VL2rOg
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) March 7, 2023
Shortly after the break, Chelsea had the perfect opportunity to double the score. A cross from Chilwell hit Marius Wolf’s arm, after which Makkelie was called to the side by VAR Pol van Boekel and decided to give a penalty. It was taken by Havertz, but the German hit the post. That led to joy and relief at Dortmund, but the penalty had to be taken over because players had caught up too early. The second golden opportunity was used by Havertz: 2-0.
That goal ensured that Chelsea was virtually through. Dortmund therefore went on the hunt for the connection goal, hoping to at least enforce an extension. Got the chances the Boruses plenty too. Jude Bellingham shot just wide in a promising position, Kepa turned Wolf’s swipe and Niklas Süle shot wide. On the other side of the field, Chelsea seemed to decide the game definitively fifteen minutes before the end, but Conor Gallagher’s goal was disallowed due to offside from Sterling again. However, Dortmund also failed to score, so it suffered its first defeat since November and is out of Europe.