Dortmund suffer Champions League heartbreak

Chelsea 2-0 Borussia Dortmund (2-1 on agg)
Goals: 1-0 Sterling 43', 2-0 Havertz pen. 53'

Following their narrow 1-0 victory at Signal Iduna Park in the first leg of the tie, Dortmund travelled to London knowing a draw would be enough to see them progress to the quarter-finals for the second time in three years. However, their task received a blow before kick-off when news emerged that Gregor Kobel had not fully recovered from a muscular issue suffered against RB Leipzig and, within five minutes, the in-form Julian Brandt was forced off with a hamstring problem. The hosts started at a frantic pace, and Die Schwarzgelben needed to survive chances from Joao Felix, Havertz and Kalidou Koulibaly. Dortmund then began to find their feet, dominating possession, and they almost took the lead when Marco Reus tested Kepa Arrizabalaga with a fantastic free-kick. As half-time approached, the Blues increased their intensity once more and, after Havertz struck the post and stand-in goalkeeper Alexander Meyer denied Felix, Raheem Sterling broke the deadlock from close range to level the aggregate scoreline.

Dortmund suffered another setback with less than 60 seconds on the second-half clock, when Chelsea were awarded a penalty after Marius Wolf handled in the area. Havertz hit the post with his first attempt but, as three players - two from Dortmund and one from the hosts - entered the box before the ball was kicked, the Germany international was gifted another opportunity to double his side's advantage. This time, he made no mistake from 12 yards, leaving Edin Terzic's men with a mountain to climb. A 2-1 deficit across the two matches meant Dortmund needed a goal to take the game to extra-time, and they almost had it when Jude Bellingham missed the target from less than six metres. Emre Can and Niklas Süle threatened with efforts from distance. In an attempt to add some impetus, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Donyell Malen were introduced. Ultimately, though, despite throwing bodies forward, the Ruhr outfit never really threatened Arrizabalaga between the Chelsea sticks. The result will be a hugely disappointing one for Dortmund considering their recent form, and they must now dust themselves down before attacking the rest of the season, with silverware in the Bundesliga and the DFB Cup still on the line.

• The last time Dortmund failed to score in a competitive match was against Manchester City in October, 17 games ago.
• The defeat ends a run of 10 consecutive wins in all competitions for the German side.
• This was the first time in the last nine competitive fixtures that Dortmund have not opened the scoring.
• For only the second time in seven knockout ties after winning the first leg, Dortmund failed to reach the next round.
• Dortmund have now lost each of their last six away games on English soil in the Champions League.
• The last time Dortmund won both legs of a knockout tie in Europe's premier club competition was 26 years ago in 1997. That May, they lifted the trophy.

Teams

Chelsea: Kepa - W. Fofana, Koulibaly, Cucurella - James, Kovacic (c) (Pulisic 83'), Fernandez (Zakaria 87'), Chilwell - Sterling (Loftus-Cheek 83'), Havertz, Joao Felix (Gallagher 67')
Unused subs: Bettinelli, Bergstrom, Chalobah, Mudryk, Ziyech, Chukwuemeka, Hall
Out: Aubameyang (ineligible), Azpilicueta (head), Badiashile (ineligible), Broja (cruciate ligament), D. Fofana (ineligible), Kante (match fitness), Madueke (ineligible), Mendy (shoulder), Mount (suspended), Silva (knee)
Coach: Graham Potter

Dortmund: Meyer - Wolf, Süle, Schlotterbeck, Guerreiro - Bellingham, Özcan (Bynoe-Gittens 64'), Can - Brandt (Reyna 5'), Haller (Malen 77'), Reus (c)
Unused subs: Kobel, Unbehaun, Dahoud, Hummels, Modeste, Meunier, Passlack, Rothe, Coulibaly
Out: Adeyemi (thigh), Kamara (knee), Morey (ineligible), Moukoko (leg), Ryerson (suspended)
Coach: Edin Terzic

As it happened

Jude Bellingham captained Borussia Dortmund to a 1-0 win over Chelsea in their UEFA Champions League last-16 first leg, Karim Adeyemi scoring the decisive goal at the Signal Iduna Park.

Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
Goals: 1-0 Adeyemi (63’)

The Dortmund fans displayed a huge Tifo prior to kick-off, and were almost rewarded for their efforts with an early goal as Julian Brandt had a fierce effort blocked by Enzo Fernandez. Mykhailo Mudryk raced straight up the other end, only for Nico Schlotterbeck to put in a superb recovery challenge before the Chelsea man could shoot. The visitors had the ball in the net in the 17th minute, but Thiago Silva was called back for using his hand to turn in Reece James’ free-kick. Sebastien Haller found the side netting for Dortmund, before Joao Felix fizzed one over the Dortmund goal. Felix hit the crossbar in a promising one-on-one moments later, but BVB ended the half in the ascendancy as Marius Wolf sent a well-struck shot narrowly wide of the upright.

Gregor Kobel was made to work for the first time to prevent a James set-piece from nestling into the corner early in the second half. Dortmund responded through Brandt, who drove a shot through a ruck of bodies and into the grateful arms of Kepa. Kobel pulled off another crucial save to turn James’ bouncing strike over the crossbar, before BVB forged ahead. Adeyemi ran from inside his own half, beating Fernandez and rounding Kepa on his way to sinking his second Champions League goal of the season. Emre Can made a goal-line clearance after Kobel spilled Kalidou Koulibaly’s stinging 12-yard strike as Dortmund stole a crucial advantage in the tie, ahead of the return leg at Stamford Bridge on 7 March.