Date: Wednesday 15th
February 2023
Venue: Signal Iduna Park
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
Its
back to the Champions League tonight for the first leg of our last-16 tie
against Borussia Dortmund at Westfalenstadion.
Borussia Dortmund have won their last six games,
including a 2-0 Bundesliga victory
away against Werder Bremen on Saturday. Dortmund
sit third in the Bundesliga and they progressed to the knockout rounds as
runners-up to Manchester City.
Chelsea, who won group E to progress, have just one win
in seven league outings and come into tonight’s game off the back of yet
another frustrating draw, this time against West Ham at the weekend.
Dortmund have failed to win any of their
last 10 games against English sides in European competition including eight
defeats but they’ve lost only four of their last 21 games at Westfalenstadion in
the Champions League, so we might find it a struggle to take anything away from
their fortress tonight, particularly given our form away from home this season.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into
today’s game, Borussia Dortmund manager, Edin
Terzic, says “In this
competition, what has happened in the league in recent weeks does not count.
It’s back to square one. We want to test ourselves at a high level across the
two games. We want to prepare for that in the best possible way and put in a
really good performance.
It’s not easy
to analyse the whole thing. [Chelsea] have given up players and brought in key
players. You don’t know exactly with which line-up they will perform here. As always, we will focus on ourselves. We
will prepare for everything.”
Chelsea
manager Graham Potter, meanwhile, says “It’s
the knockout stage of the #UCL. The absolute pinnacle. A great test against a
fantastic club. 80,000 fans here. A wonderful occasion. We are looking forward
to it and understand the challenge. Really excited for it.
My first
impressions of [Terzic] were incredibly positive. Really humble guy, very
intelligent, articulate, open minded, creative. Everything you want for a
coach, he has those attributes. Accumulated
experience. A nice mix. You can see the quality of work he’s done recently, a
fantastic run. Organised, attack well and defend well. Good individuals. I’m
pleased for him. I want to make it
difficult for him in the next couple of games then I’ll wish him well!”
SQUAD NEWS
For Borussia
Dortmund, Youssoufa Moukoko (ankle), Marius Wolf (shoulder),
Abdoulaye Kamar (knee) and Mateu Morey (fitness) are all out. Thomas Meunier is
available after injury and Karim Adeyemi is available after suspension.
For Chelsea, N’Golo Kante (hamstring),
Edouard Mendy (finger), Christian Pulisic and Armando Broja (both knee) all
remain out. Raheem Sterling (knee), Wesley Fofana (knee), Denis Zakaria (thigh),
Mateo Kovacic (calf) and Kalidou Koulibaly
(illness) are all doubts.
TEAMS
BORUSSIA DORTMUND (Possible line-up): Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Guerreiro; Bellingham, Can;
Adeyemi, Reus, Brandt; Haller
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Arrizabalaga;
James, Thiago Silva, Koulibaly, Chilwell; Loftus-Cheek, Fernandez; Mount,
Felix, Mudryk; Havertz
FORM (CL)
BORUSSIA DORTMUND:
WLWDDD
CHELSEA: LDWWWW
OTHER STUFF
- This is the first meeting between
Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea in European competition.
- Chelsea have only won three of their 11
previous away games against German sides.
- Borussia Dortmund have won their last six
games.
- Chelsea have won just
one win of their last seven league games.
- Graham Potter is unbeaten in charge of
Chelsea in the Champions League (W4 D1), winning each of his past four games.
PREDICTION
Sportsmole: Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Chelsea
