Chelsea qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday. The Londoners won the return against Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in front of their own audience and thus brushed away the 1-0 defeat from the first leg.
Raheem Sterling provided Chelsea’s liberating opening goal a few minutes before the break. Earlier in the first half, a beautiful goal by Kai Havertz was rejected on behalf of the home team.
Early in the second half, Havertz was accurate. This time the German used a questionable penalty in two instances that was given by referee Danny Makkelie. As a result, Dortmund had to score, but the visitors were unable to force extra time.
The game at Stamford Bridge started ten minutes later because the Borussia Dortmund team bus arrived too late due to crowds in London.
Thanks to the victory over Dortmund, Chelsea are still in the race for a trophy this season. ‘The Blues’ were eliminated early in both the FA Cup and the League Cup and are only tenth in the Premier League.
Havertz hits the post and sees the goal disallowed
Chelsea had to score anyway due to the defeat in the first leg and immediately went looking for the opening goal after kick-off. The first danger therefore came from the Londoners, via João Félix and Havertz.
On the other hand, Dortmund came close to the opening goal after fifteen minutes, but Marco Reus’ shot was narrowly saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. At that time, Julian Brandt had already been replaced by the Germans due to an injury.
During the first half, Chelsea put more and more pressure and that almost resulted in the 1-0 after half an hour. Havertz’s volley hit the inside of the post. Moments later, the German found the goal with a beautiful shot via the bottom of the crossbar, but that goal was disallowed because Sterling was offside earlier in the attack.
Just before the break, Sterling gave Chelsea the lead. The English attacker hit hard into the roof of the goal, after initially mowing over the ball after good preparatory work from Ben Chilwell.
Havertz uses questionable penalty in two instances
In the second half, Chelsea quickly received a questionable penalty after hands from Marius Wolf. Referee Makkelie put the ball on the spot on the advice of VAR Pol van Boekel, after which Havertz shot on the post.
The Chelsea striker was allowed to take over the penalty kick because goalkeeper Alexander Meyer came off his line too early. In the rematch Havertz did hit a goal, so Chelsea was virtually further.
Dortmund then went on the hunt for the equalizer and came close a few times through Jude Bellingham and Niklas Süle. Chelsea, which mainly held back after the 2-0, found the net through Conor Gallagher, but that goal was canceled due to offside.
At Dortmund, Donyell Malen came on fifteen minutes before the end for Sébastien Haller, but the Germans could no longer force an extension with the nineteen-time Orange international.
