Opening their round of 16 series, the Germans beat Les Bleus 1-0, who spent nearly 330 million euros in the last transfer window in January. In the other match of the day, Benfica beat Belgian Brugge.
This Wednesday, the first leg duels for the knockout stages of the Champions League continued. In Germany, the fierce struggle between Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea they finished their first chapter with a slight 1-0 advantage for the Germans, in a game that was as attractive as it was equal.
The renewed and millionaire bet of the English, who have been the main protagonists of the last transfer market in international football, has been put to the test. Thanks to the large wallet of its new owner (Todd Boehly), the Blues paid nearly 330 million euros in the January transfer window alone, being the Argentinian Enzo Fernández his most valuable acquisition (121 million euros).
Moreover, the continental gig appears as an in-season redemption opportunity for those led by Graham Potter, considering they are only tenth in the Premier League. Opposite, a Dortmund third in the Bundesliga, who has the added benefit of his hometown and the vibrant atmosphere that happens every time he plays at Signal Iduna Park.
The match had an intense start, with explosive starts in attack. The yellows were slightly superior, moving the ball better, but lacking the last to end plays effectively. In turn, the blues had their favorite offensive lane on the counterattack. At 16′, Thiago Silva scores a goal with his hand, which is canceled. Apart from this invalid action, the clearest action of the first period for the Londoners was a shot from Joao Félix which hit the crossbar at 37′.
The German side, led by Edin Terzic, used Sebastien Haller as a zone reference, along with a series of flyers that added fast transitions and widened the game. What was missing, in the first 45 minutes, was more depth in the area defended by Kepa. Towards the complement, Chelsea will seek it later, assuming the role of protagonist.
And when the Blues were dominating, Dortmund’s 1-0 arrived. At 63′, Karim Adeyemi converts with a deadly counter-attack. The sequence began with a corner in favor of the English and ended on the other side of the field, with the opening of the account.
Beyond the blow from Adeyemi’s goal, Chelsea continued to manage action, finding in Hakim Ziyech a player who kept them sharp. In the 78th minute, they almost tied with a shot from defender Koulibaly, who was in attack, saved by goalkeeper Kobel. This eagerness to seek equality left them exposed to Borussia Dortmund’s counter-attacks. In injury time, Enzo Fernández had it, but his shot was deflected by Kobel.
Finally, the third in the Bundesliga won by the minimum tenth of England, in a totally open series. The return duel will take place on March 7, at Stamford Bridge.
Benfica won
The other match of the day was played in Belgium. It is perhaps the link with less force, due to the specific weight of the protagonists. However, Brugge and Benfica they had an outstanding group stage, which put them in the top 16. The first leg was for the Portuguese 2-0, visitors.
Both goals came in the second period. At 51′, Joao Mario opened the scoring from the penalty spot. Then, at minute 88, David Neres established the final 2-0. The return will also be on March 7, in Lisbon.
follow on Jock
Source: Latercera
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
