Winner DNA matters!

Winner DNA matters!

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Chelsea made an impressive comeback in the Champions League round of 16 with Borussia Dortmund (2:0) and brightened up the impression of a disastrous season a little! The goals against the Bumblebees were scored by Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz.

Before the game, many layouts testified in favor of the German club. Those are ten victories in the previous ten meetings, and a 1-0 triumph over Chelsea three weeks ago, and the crisis state of Graham Potter's men. Let us remind you that in 2023 the Blues got only two victories, and even those over the Premier League underdogs Crystal Palace and Leeds. The club manager was on the verge of being fired, and more than half a billion euros spent in two transfer windows could not justify itself.

Despite all the skepticism, Chelsea did not deserve to lose in the first game against Dortmund. Back then, they should have at least snatched a draw, but one missed counter-attack put the Blues on the brink. In the second leg confrontation, they quickly showed who was stronger in this pair. Having created several dangerous moments, the Londoners scored a well-deserved goal in the end of the first half - Raheem Sterling did his best.

At the beginning of the second half of the game, Chelsea earned a penalty, which was converted on the second attempt by Kai Havertz. The same, whose precise shot in 2021 brought the Blues the Champions League Cup. Then Graham Potter made substitutions to reinforce the defense and brought the match to its logical conclusion. Judging by xG (0.99), Borussia Dortmund scored a goal, but they were let down by poor conversion of scoring chances.

What did Chelsea's vaunted newcomers show? João Felix, loaned from Atletico, did a good job of his role on the left wing of attack, but it was them that Potter sacrificed for the sake of a defensive game, releasing Gallagher instead of the Portuguese. Midfielder Enzo Fernandez so quickly fit into the Blues line-up that few people remember the absence of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho. But Mykhailo Mudryk, after a frisky debut in a duel with Liverpool, turned into a reservist - he was not given the opportunity to play at least 15-20 minutes for the second match in a row.

Even in crisis and having minimal impact on the game from expensive newcomers, Chelsea still proved to be stronger than Borussia Dortmund. This testifies to the incredible strength of the English Premier League and the futility of the ambitions of the representative of the Bundesliga. The Blues are literally made for the Champions League battles - it is far from a fact that the quarterfinals will be the last stage of the tournament for them.