Chelsea stormed past Borussia Dortmund to make the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a display that could give Graham Potter’s reign a lift-off. Trailing 1-0 after the first-leg, Chelsea spurned a host of chances in the first 45 but crucially went ahead through Raheem Sterling before half-time. And Kai Havertz’s retaken penalty on 53 minutes was enough to give them a 2-1 aggregate win.
Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling were on target as Chelsea overturned a first-leg deficit to beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 and progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
The Blues have struggled for goals in 2023 but demonstrated a more ruthless streak in Europe’s premier competition to win 2-1 on aggregate and ease some of the pressure on boss Graham Potter.
Dortmund had controlled long spells of the first period with Marco Reus going close to breaking the deadlock with a delightful 25 yard free-kick that Kepa Arrizabalaga did well to touch past his right-hand post.
Chelsea relied upon punchy counter-attacks and carved out a series of big opportunities. Havertz hit the post and then had a goal chalked off for offside in the build-up while Joao Felix and Kalidou Koulibaly also wasted gilt-edged chances.
Sterling eventually opened the scoring two minutes prior to the break when he rifled high into the net at the second time of asking.
The second-half burst into life in dramatic fashion on 50 minutes when VAR intervened to help award a penalty for hand ball against Marius Wolf. Havertz saw his initial spot kick come crashing back off the foot of the post but made no mistake with a second attempt after VAR ordered a re-take for encroachment.
Dortmund huffed and puffed but could not find away back into the tie with Jude Bellingham somehow side-footing a close-range effort wide.
A buoyant Chelsea will now travel to Leicester in the Premier League on Saturday while Dortmund’s quest for the Bundesliga title continues away to rivals Schalke.
