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Chelsea will host Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16. The game is scheduled to be played at Stamford Bridge tonight (March 7).
The Blues have been very poor in recent weeks and they go into this encounter with only one win from their last five games across all competitions.
Borussia Dortmund, on the other hand, have won all of their last five games across all competitions going into this clash.
Hence, this article will look at three key individual battles that could determine the outcome of this encounter.
Without further ado, let's look at them.
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#3 Jude Bellingham vs Enzo Fernandez
Arguably one of the most talented young midfielders in Europe, Bellingham is creative and his attacking intuition has been significant in recent months.
The Englishman has netted four goals and registered one assist in six UEFA Champions League appearances this season. The unique thing about him is his ability to advance with the ball from midfield to the final third and this implies that Enzo Fernandez will definitely have his work cut out.
However, Fernandez is energetic and his defensive prowess has been impressive ever since he arrived at Stamford Bridge. It remains to be seen if he will keep Bellingham under wraps in this clash.
#2 Kai Havertz vs Niklas Sule
Despite his lack of cutting-edge attack in recent months, Havertz remains one of Chelsea's key attackers going into this encounter. This is due to his familiarity with Borussia Dortmund, having previously featured in the Bundesliga.
Havertz has only scored one goal in seven UEFA Champions League appearances this season. But it can be stated that he's not an attacker that should be underestimated in the final third. Monitoring his movements in and around the penalty box is a tough task as he's always quick to react to a goalkeeper spillage.
His German compatriot Niklas Sule will have to keep an eye on him if he intends to win this individual battle.
However, Sule has been defensively robust recently, making this an interesting matchup.
#1 Julian Brandt vs Reece James
The German international has been a formidable force to reckon with in the final third in recent months. This has seen him register two goal contributions in six UEFA Champions League appearances. Similarly, he's netted three goals in his last five appearances.
One thing to note is that his vision in attack has been immense and this could be a problem for Graham Potter's defense in this encounter. Hence, Reece James will have to be defensively alert and avoid excessive overlapping that could create room for Brandt in attack.
