Chelsea defeated Borussia Dortmund in a 2-0 dramatic comeback to make the quarter-finals of the Champions League with an amazing display deemed their best under Potter’s regime.
The Blues spurned a host of chances in the first 45 minutes of the second leg but eventually went ahead through Raheem Sterling strike before Kai Havert sealed it with a retaken penalty on 53rd minute to give Potter a 2-1 aggregate victory.
Chelsea have now progressed from five UEFA Champions League knocked-out stages clashes after losing their first leg.
Chelsea Retook Their Penalty After Havertz Shot Hit The Post
The second half was intriguing, sprouting into a dramatic fashion as the Blues strived to get the job done quickly to avoid extra time, and they got it done thanks to Dortmund invading the box during Kai Havertz’s missed penalty attempt.
The opportunity came in the 50th minute when VAR intervened to award a penalty in favor of Chelsea for handball against Marius Wolf.
Kai Havertz saw his initial spot kick come crashing as he hit the woodwork but made no mistake with a second attempt with VAR ordering a re-take after Borussia Dortmund’s players were judged to have encroached into the box.
Dortmund Were The Most In Form Team in Europe’s Top Five Leagues Before Losing to Chelsea.
Borussia Dortmund were absolutely soaring high and were literally unbeatable in 2023 before their visit to Stamford Bridge.
Edin Terzic side was the most in-form team in Europe’s top five leagues before their encounter with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Dortmund are the only team in Europe’s top five leagues to have won every game in 2023 across the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and Champions League before Tuesday’s clash, having 10 wins, with 25 goals and conceding eight goals.
Dortmund’s last five matches before yesterday’s Champions League elimination against Chelsea saw them beat Werder Bremen, 2-0, thrashed Chelsea 1-0, Hertha Berlin 4-1, Hoffenheim 1-0 and defeated RB Leipzig 2-1.
BVB’s dramatic green streak this season also includes five successive away victories in domestic action before Chelsea handed them their first loss in 2023 and held them goalless for the first time in nearly four months.
Following Tuesday’s eviction, Edin Terzic’s side have lost nine and won three of their last 16 knockout matches in UEFA Champions League competition.
UCL Victory a Relief For Pressured Graham Potter
Chelsea were barely scraping the floor, with very low morale, vibes far from great, little enthusiasm, and endless concerns, including a mountain of pressure on the Blues manager, Graham Potter.
The victory is certainly a much-needed tonic for Chelsea boss Graham Potter following myriad pressures and criticism mounted on him for the team’s boring and unyielding performance.
Chelsea claim back-to-back victories for the first time since October and this result could be the beginning of a rejuvenated team the fans have been demanding from Potter who saw his side secure victory for just the fourth time in 17 outings in all competitions on Tuesday night.
The triumphant Chelsea will next be seen in action when they travel to Leicester in the Premier League on Saturday, March 11 while Dortmund’s quest for the Bundesliga title continues with an away clash against rivals Schalke.
