Karim Adeyemi scored the only goal of the game to help Borussia Dortmund produce one of the narrow football results of the weekend in the Champions League. In a loud atmosphere in Germany, Graham Potter’s team had the better chances, but Thiago Silva had a goal disallowed for handball and Joao Felix struck the crossbar from a good position. Just after the hour mark, Ademeyi’s solo run made up for their earlier imprudence. Given the way Chelsea performed, it was unfair to them. When they fell down, they battled ferociously to gain the lead back and nearly did so when Kalidou Koulibaly’s furious strike was blocked by Emre Can. But in order to advance, they must now make up ground at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea has now lost nine games in a row since the start of the year, and despite parts of what Potter saw being encouraging, this was another proof that this is a squad still looking for ways to avoid victory. The Champions League knockout rounds were given to the full Dortmund experience thanks to the relaxation of regulations in the summer that had previously forced temporary seats to be placed on the enormous Sudtribune for European competition.
Over an hour prior to kickoff, the terrace was full, with a cacophony of boos welcoming the Chelsea players for both their warm-up and the actual game. It presented a challenging test for Potter’s team because cohesion was in its infancy and confidence was shaky. In the first half, they counterattacked, but there were opportunities. Following Reece James’ left-wing free-kick, Thiago Silva had a goal disallowed for handball, then Joao Felix missed two golden chances to give Chelsea the lead on the break. His deliberate shot went over the bar on the first attempt. Kai Havertz set up the second, which, using his weaker left foot, rebounded off the crossbar. Along with Mykhailo Mudryk, who moves quickly
Despite having the majority of the first half’s possession, Dortmund only had one clear-cut opportunity for Kepa Arrizabalaga to stop, Sebastien Haller’s angle shot. Jude Bellingham, their belligerent captain, led them, and they provided just enough to keep the spectators interested. In the second half, the game changed, with Chelsea gaining charge and using James to challenge the goalie while Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez had shots blocked. Adeyemi exposed them at the back just as they were gaining speed. He outran Fernandez in a one-on-one situation, maneuvered around Kepa, and then slid the ball low into the goal. The stadium was quite loud inside. The Chelsea players appeared stunned. It’s turning into a bad habit.
Following that, Dortmund was on edge as the opposition attempted to eke out an equalizer. Fernandez forced the outstanding Gregor Kobel to make a fantastic save from the edge of the box. The stadium’s Chelsea fans, meanwhile, were devastated by their team’s inability to score. The beauty of football, according to Potter, is that two plus two does not always equal four in this game. Potter had made this observation the previous evening while discussing the relationship between resources and results. Chelsea currently appears to be less than the sum of its pricey components.
“For the most part, we were happy with the team’s performance during the game. In the Champions League, playing in a hostile environment against a side that is having a successful run can be challenging. With the exception of one crucial play where we didn’t perform well enough, I believed that we were the superior team in the second half,” Chelsea head coach Graham Potter said. “In a game, you might occasionally feel at ease, but never to this degree. It’s a bad objective. We need to perform better; at the time, we were the stronger squad. We are all disappointed that the concession was made in that way. The players are sincere, yet they can improve. We must assist them with that. But we must emphasize the good. As a group, the attitude has been excellent. The team is filled with spirit. We simply need to maintain our performance level and keep getting better. We’re hoping to get better so we can challenge them at Stamford Bridge.”
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