'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABlAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgcQAAEEAgEFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAgMhBAYREhMkQbMBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGEQACAQMEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMABBEFEiFRE0HB/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDHYdCwX4sspklAB8YNks9QvuOLTYcOQQo52hQhxBkno+sqvmiKctdVvn8oZ0ISQAZjTgFQ3XZox5pdsZ3nLJk8+8kfK//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Borussia Dortmund walked out 1-0 winners against Chelsea in the first leg of the Round of 16 in the Champions League on Wednesday, February 15.
Borussia Dortmund came into the game with a brilliant run of form after the World Cup break, winning their last six games, including five straight in the league. Striker Sebastian Haller made his first start for Dortmund in the Champions League after teenager Youssoufa Moukoko was ruled out with an injury.
Chelsea, on the other hand, looked for a spark to change their poor fortunes. Under manager Graham Potter, the Blues have won just two of their last 13 games and a positive result in the Champions League was crucial to overturning their bad form.
Trending
Kalidou Koulibaly and Hakim Ziyech replaced Benoit Badiashile and Noni Madueke, who could not be registered in the squad. Full-back Ben Chilwell also made his first start after a long injury layoff.
The first half initially started as a tight affair but grew frenetic later on. Chelsea had a few decent chances early on, especially as they looked to play on the counter. They received a free kick in an interesting position only for Thiago Silva to poke it in with his hands, receiving a yellow card in the process.
As the half continued, Dortmund grew into the game. They looked to play sharp, short passes around the Blues and had two good chances with full-back Marius Wolf and forward Haller. Chelsea then had a great chance with Joao Felix when he seized the ball in midfield and got it back from Ziyech, only to sky his shot over the bar.
Felix then spurned another brilliant chance when Kai Havertz held the ball up and set him up for a finish but he could only strike the crossbar.
An entertaining half ended 0-0 as both teams looked to get a crucial first-leg lead.
The second half continued with more of the same. Emre Can fouled Reece James at the edge of the box and the ensuing free-kick from James forced a good save from Gregor Kobel.
Karim Adeyemi then opened the scoring in the 62nd minute with a sensational solo effort. The Blues hit the crossbar off a corner and as the ball was cleared, Adeyemi picked the ball up from his own half, ran past Enzo Fernandez and slotted it home.
Chelsea got on the front foot after going down, creating regular chances but were unable to level the scores. Mason Mount and Marc Cucurella came on for Mykhailo Mudryk and Ben Chilwell.
Koulibaly then had a great chance but had his shot cleared off the line after Kobel got a hand to it. Chelsea had a lion's share of possession as the game neared its end but could not really pose a great threat to Dortmund's goal. Enzo Fernandez forced a smart save from Kobel late in stoppage time as Chelsea surged ahead in search of an equalizer.
The German club will feel lucky to carry their one-goal advantage into Stamford Bridge for the return leg. Here are five talking points from the game:
#5. Chelsea have a massive problem in the final third
Chelsea have had worrying issues throughout this season and that is the lack of end product. They have scored just 23 goals in 22 Premier League games this season and that trend continues today.
They created regular chances but could not produce a finish. Joao Felix notably hit the bar and missed another easy chance while they also had a set-piece header hit the crossbar. If the Blues want to turn their season around, they will have to find a way to consistently put the ball in the back of the net.
#4. Karim Adeyemi continues his rich vein of form
Karim Adeyemi yet again proved why he is one of the most talented youngsters in world football right now. The 21-year-old scored the only goal of the game seemingly out of nowhere, dribbling the ball all the way from his own half before coolly finishing past Kepa Arrizabalaga. He has now scored in three straight appearances for Dortmund.
#3. Kalidou Koulibaly regained his confidence
Koulibaly had a solid outing against Dortmund. With the arrival of French defender Benoit Badiashile, the Senegalese had fallen down the pecking order for Blues manager Graham Potter. However, as Badiashile could not be registered with Chelsea's UCL squad, the 31-year-old was given a start.
Koulibaly proved to be a strong presence alongside Thiago Silva, finishing the game with four clearances, two blocked shots and one interception. He was also unlucky not to score after his stinging effort in the second half was cleared off the line.
#2. Borussia Dortmund look like one of the best teams in Europe
Borussia Dortmund have completely turned their fortunes after the World Cup break. After having a poor start to their Bundesliga season, BVB have now secured six wins on the trot. Carrying a lead into the return fixture, the German giants will be hopeful of securing qualification into the quarter-finals.
#1. The return leg should be a fantastic affair
Although Dortmund secured the win, fans of the German club may consider themselves lucky to walk out of Signal Iduna Park with the aggregate in their favor. Though they did have some good chances in the first half, they were largely on the back foot for most of the game. The return leg at Stamford Bridge three weeks from now promises to be a great fixture as Chelsea will look to overturn the deficit.
