Chelsea defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 on Tuesday at Stamford Bridge to advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League and relieve some of the pressure on head coach Graham Potter.
Chelsea got off to a quick start in Champions League tie in their attempt to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg three weeks prior in Germany, but they were forced to wait for Raheem Sterling’s 43rd-minute goal to break the tie.
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Kai Havertz converted a penalty at the second attempt in the 53rd minute to secure a 2-1 victory overall. Referee Danny Makkelle was sent to the monitor by VAR representative Pol Van Boekel to review a handball by Marius Wolf, and the spot kick was then given.
Chelsea held on to a crucial victory that advances them to the second consecutive round of UEFA Champions League which is Europe’s top club competition as late substitute Christian Pulisic made his first Chelsea appearance since January 5.
Potter chose Champions League as a quick reaction
1. Graham Potter best night ever since taking over Chelsea job
Even though Chelsea defeated Leeds United last weekend by a lone, unanswered goal, Potter was still under a lot of pressure going into Tuesday’s Champions League game with Borussia Dortmund.
The ownership’s recent massive investment in the club, which totals around £600 million, calls for a better immediate return than the Blues have recently been able to deliver. An early Champions League exit would have strengthened Potter’s detractors’ case that the 47-year-old may not be up to the task.
On the sidelines of this game, Potter was noticeably more animated, frequently attempting to rally the crowd and reacting to refereeing decisions with more vigor than usual.
The moment when Havertz attempted to score his second-chance penalty in the 53rd minute may have been the most telling one. Potter could only watch while seated. Even though it was occasionally difficult, this must be Potter’s best performance since taking over for Thomas Tuchel in September.
If the domestic stumbles continue, Potter will have a concrete accomplishment to point to in the possibility of a Champions League quarterfinal next month. But he will be hoping that the first back-to-back victories since October will turn out to be the much-needed turning point.
2. Chelsea’s lack of goals curse finally broken
Chelsea’s main issue under Potter has been scoring goals. They frequently created and then missed opportunities, such as when Havertz hit the post or when had the ball in the net with a spectacular finish only to have the offside flag raised. It threatened to be another extremely frustrating evening.
Chelsea, however, received recognition this time for their tenacity.
Raheem Sterling had a difficult first half, but he persisted and gave the home team the lead two minutes before halftime. Havertz needed two attempts, but after missing the post with his first attempt due to several Dortmund players encroaching on the penalty area, he successfully converted his second attempt.
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Surprisingly, Chelsea had not scored more than once in a game since December 27. It was exactly what they needed to accomplish in order to advance, but encouraging performances from Joao Felix and Havertz in particular should aid Chelsea in overcoming what had undoubtedly, at least in part, developed into a psychological problem in front of goal.
3. Depleted Dortmund feared Chelsea; Jude Bellingham was missing
Dortmund’s preparations for the Champions League were further complicated by a late arrival at Stamford Bridge, which necessitated a 10-minute delay in the start of the game because it left them without their injured key attacking players Karim Adeyemi and Youssoufa Moukoko as well as goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
To make matters worse, Julian Brandt was forced to leave the game with an injury after just five minutes, making it harder for them to maintain their first-leg advantage.
Teams need their big players to step up in these situations, and Jude Bellingham, who is only 19 years old but has previously captained the team, is an important member of Dortmund’s attack. Unfortunately, BVB had a less than stellar night.
Bellingham was not to blame for Dortmund’s elimination, but he was also unable to have the same impact on the game that has caused his proposed transfer fees to soar in anticipation of a possible summer transfer to either the Premier League or La Liga.
Just before the hour, Sebastien Haller’s shot hit Ben Chilwell and fell to him from 7 yards out, giving him a glorious opportunity to draw Dortmund even on the scoreboard. Bellingham surprisingly sidefooted it wide.
Such a prodigiously talented player will undoubtedly have a glittering career, but this was a night to forget.
