Potter’s magic puts Chelsea in the Quarterfinals
The Blues come back from the tie in a great game with goals from Sterling and Havertz and sentence a Dortmund team that lost Brandt at the start of the game and lacked efficiency up front.
The game had a lot of pace. The duel started later than expected due to a delay in Dortmund’s arrival at Stamford Bridge due to traffic problems. Beyond the extra-sports, the game has been a great match.
The first part was marked by the good start of Chelsea, who put the pressure line high up trying to complicate Dortmund in getting the ball out. Sterling had the first arrival for Potter’s men, who had up to three chances in the first minutes, one of them by Joao Félix in which he almost managed to beat Meyer. Brandt was leaving injured as soon as the match began.
Little by little, Dortmund took control of the match, controlling possession with the ball and scaring Chelsea with an exceptional free-kick from Reus that Kepa cleared with a save. Dortmund continued to attack, looking for the rival area and controlling the ball, but Chelsea also gave their warning with a play from the right wing by James that ended up in Havertz’s boots, which crashed into the post. Chelsea made merits to win at half-time. Havertz would score a great goal, but the play was canceled due to Sterling’s previous offside. Joao Félix had it in a rejection inside the area after a very dangerous free kick taken to the far post. Potter’s team was not precise, but Sterling appeared in the final stretch of the first act to equalize the tie with a shoe into the back of the goal.
The second part had a lot of rhythm. Havertz had the opportunity from eleven meters to overtake Chelsea in the tie and, in the first instance, missed the maximum penalty. Makkelie ordered to repeat and the second would not fail. Kepa was very successful in several worthwhile interventions and Chelsea defended themselves with everything against the attacks and arrivals of Dortmund, which lacked efficiency.
