Chelsea v Borussia Dortmund LIVE result: Champions League score as Sterling and Havertz send Chelsea through
Chelsea 2-0 Borussia Dortmund (agg: 2-1): The Blues impressed and, after early frustration, Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz sent them into the quarter finals
A first-half goal from Raheem Sterling and a controversial penalty by Kai Havertz overturned a first-leg deficit and propelled Chelsea into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-1 aggregate win over Borussia Dortmund.
Just as they had in Germany three weeks ago when Dortmund won 1-0, 2021 champions Chelsea squandered chance after chance in the first half, with Germany’s Havertz hitting the post. But in the 43rd minute, Ben Chilwell crossed into the box and found England teammate Sterling.
Sterling air-kicked his first effort, then sidestepped Marco Reus and sent his second high into the net to put the teams level on aggregate.
Early in the second half a Chilwell cross smacked into the outstretched hand of defender Marius Wolf and Dutch referee Danny Makkelie gave the penalty after being called to the VAR screen. Havertz hit the keeper’s left-hand post and play resumed for a few seconds until VAR alerted Makkelie that Dortmund players had encroached into the area. Havertz retook the kick and sent the ball the same way but this time it squeezed inside the post for a 53rd-minute strike.
It was Dortmund’s first defeat following wins in their previous 10 matches and a boost for Chelsea, who have struggled for form under Graham Potter since the turn of the year. Relive all the action as Chelsea host Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last 16:
Chelsea finally show Graham Potter blueprint in stirring Champions League comeback
Relief for Graham Potter, and maybe the release? It is possible this 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund could be looked back on as the game where it all changed, as so much finally went the beleaguered manager’s way. Chelsea didn’t just score, but scored twice, marking the first time they had two goals in a game in 2023. Much more importantly, it was exactly what they needed to put them into the quarter finals of the Champions League, in what undoubtedly represents his first big feat as manager here.
That might seem a bit much for a club who should be used to this level, but that’s how bad it was getting, and why this will feel all the more satisfying. You could even say Potter is now on a roll. This 2-0 also marked the first time his side have won successive games since October, and it was certainly his biggest victory. The only game that comes close was Milan away.
Jude Bellingham, meanwhile, didn’t yet look close to the Champions League knock-out matchwinner he will inevitably become, contriving to somehow miss the best chance of the game. Potter would no doubt feel relief it was for once the opposition suffering that. Part of the issue for Dortmund, though, was they had so little else.
Chelsea finally show Graham Potter blueprint in stirring Champions League comeback
Chelsea 2-0 Borussia Dortmund (agg: 2-1): The Blues impressed and, after early frustration, Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz sent them into the quarter finals
Graham Potter takes his last chance to live to fight another day
It was not the first problem Chelsea have had with a coach this season. Indeed, given the way Thomas Tuchel’s reign imploded, it was not even the first with a Borussia Dortmund coach. But when a large vehicle containing the visitors struggled to get into Stamford Bridge, at least it was not an issue with a malfunctioning coach that was an indictment of Graham Potter.
Instead, an evening that had the potential to render him a dead man walking, to borrow a phrase often used about one of his beleaguered predecessors, Claudio Ranieri, instead produced the best result of his troubled tenure as Chelsea manager. Which, admittedly, is not saying much. The shortlist of candidates was just that: until Dortmund were defeated, it only contained home-and-away victories over AC Milan. A knockout game with a manager under pressure, factoring in a first-leg deficit, rendered this the finest.
Dortmund’s difficulties arriving put kick-off back. If it might have only extended Chelsea’s participation in the Champions League by another 10 minutes, instead it goes on into April. So, surely, will Potter’s time in charge. Chelsea are only 10th in the Premier League but they can at least brand themselves one of the top eight sides in Europe.
Graham Potter takes his last chance to live to fight another day
Defeat to Dortmund could have spelled the end for the Chelsea coach but a stirring victory sees him battle on
Reaction from Graham Potter
“I’m not sure! There is a lot of emotion in the end. It was tense in the end but the boys played fantastic. I am delighted for them to get the win and great for everyone here.
“I knew they had encroached [on the penalty]. It was him or Reece. Sometimes they have to feel it on the pitch. Obviously we have confidence in Kai. I wasn’t watching it but delighted when I heard the roar.
“Taking penalties is not for me, so I am in awe of anybody [who does].
“There was a fantastic feeling in the dressing room. We have been through a toiugh period and this competition means a lot for us. We wanted to progress and get into the last eight and it sets us up for the next few weeks.
“We have to recover and prepare for Saturday when we play Leicester. It is great for the boys, two clean sheets after a tough period. You get that in life and it is about how you respond and the players have been fantastic.
“It was important we put pressure on them and get the crowd with us. It is not easy to do because they are a top team playing with confidence.
“Credit to the players they gave everything and over the two games I thought we deserved to go through.”
Chelsea defeat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 on aggregate to reach Champions League quarter-finals
Since his debut in the competition in September 2014, Raheem Sterling (44) has been involved in more Champions League goals than any other Englishman (27 goals, 17 assists), while only Wayne Rooney (30) has ever netted more in the competition amongst his compatriots.
Chelsea defeat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 on aggregate to reach Champions League quarter-finals
Chelsea have now progressed from five Uefa Champions League knockout stage ties after losing the first leg, the joint-most of any team in the competition’s history (Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid also five).
Chelsea defeat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 on aggregate to reach Champions League quarter-finals
Graham Potter has become just the second English manager to win five UEFA Champions League games in a single season, after Bobby Robson with Newcastle in 2002/03 (5).
Kai Havertz speaking to BT Sport
“I don’t know what I was thinking [when it hit the post] but the referee let me retake the penalty. I was a bit nervous but I scored. I tried to wait and look at the keeper and the second one was a bit easier.
“The last two weeks were hard, we lost a lot of games. Tonight was important this is a big tournament and it’s the last trophy that we can win.
“We showed character and that we want to keep going.”
Reaction from Raheem Sterling
“It was a massive performance. We had to dig deep. We took our chances. We felt as a team we could do it.
“I had a little mis-kick with the first touch but it landed perfectly and allowed us to build on that for our performance.
“I thought about taking it [the penalty] the second time but I was so confident in Kai [Havertz] to put it in the back of the net.”
Chelsea defeat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 on aggregate to reach Champions League quarter-finals
Graham Potter is the first English manager to lead Chelsea to a Champions League knockout game win.
Frank Lampard’s Blues lost both legs against Bayern Munich at this stage in 2019/20.
Chelsea defeat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 on aggregate to reach Champions League quarter-finals
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies