Chelsea in a difficult confrontation against Dortmund
After regaining some balance in the English Premier League, Chelsea is preparing today for the decisive confrontation that it will play at home against Borussia Dortmund in the second leg round of the sixteenth round of the European Football Champions League, which also witnesses Benfica’s meeting with the Belgian Club Brugge.
The first-leg match against Chelsea ended with a 1-0 victory for Borussia Dortmund, and the only goal at that time was scored by Karim Adeyemi during the second half, and Chelsea did not succeed in responding, especially in light of the brilliance of goalkeeper Gregor Koppel.
This result gave Chelsea coach Graham Potter some optimism about the team’s ability to turn the balance of the confrontation in his favor through the second leg in the British capital, London.
So today’s match seems like the closest chance to save Graham Potter and get the team back on the right track again.
Chelsea, who won the Champions League in the 2020/2021 season, may derive some optimism from its record in the tournament. In the last seven times that Chelsea have been late in the knockout round in the Champions League, they have qualified four times.
However, there is no doubt that the scoring aspect constitutes the most important challenge for Chelsea and its coach, Graham Potter, as the team has scored only five goals in the 12 matches it has played so far since the beginning of 2023 in all competitions.
As for Borussia Dortmund, he is entering the match with tremendous confidence, after achieving eight consecutive victories in the German League, to occupy second place, with a difference of goals only, behind Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga title holder. Borussia Dortmund prepared perfectly for the Chelsea match by beating Leipzig 2/1 on Friday evening in the German League.
And at a time when Chelsea is suffering from a decline in the scoring aspect, Dortmund is living a period of glow in this aspect, as its matches during the current year witnessed great victories, including its victory over Freiburg 5/1 and Hertha Berlin 4/1.
However, there are doubts about the possibility of the brilliant goalkeeper Gregor Koppel participating in the ranks of Borussia Dortmund in tomorrow’s match, despite his travel with the team to London. Borussia Dortmund’s director of football, Sebastian Kehl, said: “We still don’t know if he can play tomorrow.”
As for the Benfica and Club Brugge match… a confrontation that seems settled
And at Al-Nour Stadium in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, Benfica will meet Club Brugge in a confrontation that seems settled, after the Portuguese team won the first leg away from home 2-0.
Benfica is entering the match with tremendous confidence, after winning all three matches it played in the Portuguese Premier League after facing Club Brugge, as Benfica occupies the top of the league, eight points ahead of its closest rivals, Porto, who are in second place.
As for Club Brugge, its next three matches, the first-leg match against Benfica, witnessed a draw, victory, and then a heavy defeat against Ostend 0/3 on Friday in the Belgian League.
