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Chelsea vs Borussia Dortmund (2-0) highlights & analysis | Champions League

Chelsea scored two goals in a game for the first time in 2023 to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League and overturn their 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund from the first leg.

Goals from Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz secured a 2-0 win on the night and helps ease the pressure on under-fire Graham Potter by keeping their quest for silverware, in what’s been a poor domestic season, alive.

Chelsea came out the blocks quickest with plenty of chances early on with a packed Stamford Bridge roaring their team on to find an early goal. Sterling, Havertz and Joao Felix all looked lively from the off with stand-in goalkeeper Alexander Meyer given an early indication he’d be in for a busy night.

The first real chance of the game came from Dortmund though, as Marco Reus forced Kepa Arrizabalaga into a stunning one-handed save from a free-kick that looked destined to hit the back of the net from 25 yards.

Prior to tonight’s encounter, Havertz had failed to score in all eight of his appearances vs Dortmund — his worst record against any club over his career — and when he struck the inside of the post from a first-time effort on the edge of the box on 28 minutes he must have felt that run was set to continue. 10 minutes later he did have the ball in the back of the net, this time an exquisite, curled effort that looped over Meyer, only for Sterling to be ruled offside in the lead up. How’s your luck?

But the Blues finally got the breakthrough, and themselves back in the tie, before half-time after Sterling, who initially fluffed his shot with the left foot from a low cross from the left flank, regained his composure and hammered it home with his right from close range.

Havertz might have thought his bad luck had run out when he was given the opportunity to convert a penalty shortly after the restart. A VAR check ensured the Blues were awarded a penalty after Marius Wolf handled from Ben Chilwell’s cross at point-blank range. However, the German’s penalty struck the post. Luckily for him, there was encroachment into the box behind him and he was allowed a retake. This time, he made no mistake and slotted it the other side of the post to end his torrid run against Dortmund.

Chelsea would again have the ball in the net late on as Conor Gallagher tapped into an empty net but Sterling was ruled offside again in the build up as Potter made sensible substitutions to see the game out.

Dortmund gave it one final push in the last moments but Chelsea stood tall and closed out the match to book their spot in the quarterfinals.

Chelsea starting XI (3-4-3): Kepa (GK) — Fofana, Koulibaly Cucurella — James, Kovacic (83′ Loftus-Cheek), Fernandez, Chillwell — Sterling (83′ Pulisic), Havertz, Felix (67′ Gallagher)

Dortmund starting XI (4-1-4-1): Meyer (GK) — Wolf, Sule, Schlotterbeck, Guerreiro — Can — Brandt (5′ Reyna), Bellingham, Ozcan (63′ Bynoe-Gittens), Reus — Haller (77′ Malen)