CHELSEA are into the Champions League quarter-finals after defeating Borussia Dortmund in the last-16.
Raheem Sterling’s rocket just before half-time and a retaken Kai Havertz penalty gave the Blues a 2-0 win on the night, and a 2-1 victory on aggregate.
Dortmund’s team bus had arrived LATE for the clash, and the game instead started at 8.10pm.
- Result: Chelsea 2-0 Borussia Dortmund (2-1 agg)
- Chelsea XI: Kepa, Fofana, Koulibaly, Cucurella, James, Fernandez, Kovacic, Chilwell; Sterling, Havertz, Felix
- Borussia Dortmund XI: Meyer, Wolf, Sule, Schlotterbeck, Guerreiro, Can, Brandt, Bellingham, Ozcan, Reus, Haller
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Farewell!
That wraps up our coverage of Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund tonight.
A monumental night for Graham Potter and his players. Perhaps they can kick on now, starting with Leicester this weekend.
Chelsea were excellent tonight, perhaps the best so far in the Potter era.
Sterling and Havertz with the goals on the night. Roll on the quarter-finals for the Blues.
Goodnight.
Credit: Getty Potter on Havertz’s penalty
“I knew they had encroached. It was him or Reece,” he added.
“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].”
Potter speaks on huge win
“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,” he said.
Credit: Getty
Havertz speaks
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Raheem Sterling speaks
“It was a massive performance,” Chelsea’s first goalscorer said.
“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.”
Credit: Getty Full-time stats
Here’s how things looked by the end of the game. Those all-important two goals the difference.
Chelsea have done it!
What a huge win for Potter and his team.
That’ll silence a few critics. Bellingham and Co go over to the Dortmund fans to give them the plaudits they deserve.
Potter claps the Chelsea fans and gets applause back himself.
Credit: AFP FULL-TIME: Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
Chelsea are THROUGH to the Champions League quarter-finals. What a huge effort from Potter’s men.
Raheem Sterling’s first-half effort and Kai Havertz’s penalty were enough to get the job done.
A massive turnaround in fortunes for Graham Potter over the last four days.
Chelsea fans are in jubilant mood! Dortmund players collapse to the ground in inconsolable manner.
Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
90+6. The corner comes to nothing and Kepa has the ball in his hands!
Chelsea are seconds away as Havertz tries to buy some time in Dortmund’s half.
The Blues win a vital free-kick, much to the displeasure of Wolf, who stands over the fallen Chilwell.
They’re nearly there now…
Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
90+5. Dortmund launch the ball forward again and there’s a huge scramble as Chelsea look to get it away.
A volley comes in and it’s deflected for a corner.
Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
90+4. Bellingham crosses this time but Kepa holds on and buys more crucial moments for Chelsea.
They’re so close now, Potter can practically feel a spot in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
90+2. Zakaria comes away with the ball and crosses for Havertz but it’s too far beyond the reach of the German.
He tries to waste some time in the corner, the Dortmund players don’t like it, and some scuffles break out.
Dortmund come again.
Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
90. Pulisic holds the ball up well on the counter-attack this time as Chelsea look to eat away at the previous seconds left.
The board goes up…. and there will be SIX added minutes.
Big few moments coming up for the Stamford Bridge faithful.
LONDON, ENGLAND â MARCH 07: Giovanni Reyna of Borussia Dortmund competes with Mateo Kovacic of Chelsea during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 leg two match between Chelsea FC and Borussia Dortmund at Stamford Bridge on March 7, 2023 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Fantasista/Getty Images)Credit: Getty Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
89. Dortmund continuing to put the pressure on. Reece James blocks a cross but the away side come again.
It comes to Emre Can at the edge of the box and it’s crossed in but Bellingham’s header is over.
Reprieve for the Blues.
Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
87. Enzo Fernandez OFF. Zakaria ON.
Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
87. Chelsea got the ball clear. Zakaria preparing to come on for the Blues now. Last few minutes now.
Dortmund fan are getting louder and louder. The tension is becoming more unbearable for Chelsea fans with every passing second.
Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
85. Bellingham wants a foul in the middle after skipping past Gallagher but coming unstuck in Enzo’s wake.
Chelsea fans then hold onto the ball after it goes out for a throw-in. Frustrating last few moments for the away side.
But now they have another free-kick in a dangerous position.
Third time lucky?
Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
83. Yep, Sterling and Kovacic off for Pulisic and Loftus-Cheek.
Huge last few minutes for Chelsea coming up here. Can Potter’s men hold on to their crucial lead?
They’ve defended resolutely so far.
Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
81. Chelsea are making changes. It looks like Loftus-Cheek and Pulisic are coming on. Kovacic and Sterling could be the men coming off here.
Dortmund still pressing for a huge goal.
Credit: Getty Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
78. Haller comes off for Donyell Malen. Dortmund throwing anything they can at this last 12 minutes.
And it’s free-kick on the edge of the box for the German side now… what can they muster from this?
Yellow card for Enzo Fernandez.
Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
76. Chelsea have the ball in the net again! But again it’s offside.
Sterling races through one-on-one, squares for Gallagher to tap into an empty net.
But Sterling was offside the entire time.
Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
74. Sule shoots from distance this time for Dortmund but his effort whistles past Kepa’s post.
Chelsea will take those long-range efforts all day… so long as one doesn’t end up in the top corner.
The Blues have possession in midfield as they look to control the temp of these last 15 minutes.
Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
73. Chelsea win a corner down the right after a nice counter-attack.
James comes over to receive some instructions from Potter, before heading back in for the corner.
Chilwell takes the in-swinger and it’s cleared by Dortmund.
Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
71. Dortmund still chasing that all-important goal but they’re yet to fashion any clear chances since Bellingham’s effort.
Chelsea holding firm in their first third. This won’t be a fun for 20 minutes for these Blues fans at all.
Credit: Reuters Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund
68. Joao Felix is coming OFF for Chelsea. He’s being replaced by Conor Gallagher.
Potter looking to shore things up in the middle. He wants to hold on for the win.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
