Borussia Dortmund v Chelsea: Champions League last 16, first leg ...
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I enjoyed the arse out of that game, from minute one like Paris v Bayern was in the last 15. Yes, Chelsea lost, but it’s no kind of reach to think they’ll be a proper side in the not-too-distant future. They’re not yet able to dominate games against quality opposition, and they still struggle to score, but you can see a direction of travel. Dortmund, meanwhile, defended the box pretty well but were susceptible on the counter and missed Moukoko. Their problem is that Bellingham looks unlikely to stay another year, and he’ll take some replacing.
FULL-TIME: Borussia Dortmund 1-0 ChelseaThat was a terrific game, and the second leg should be just as intense, if not more so. Phew!
90+5 min No matter, here come Chelsea again, Fernandez picking up possession on the edge and curling goalwards … but he puts just too much swazz on it, so when it comes too far back in, Kobel shoves away.
90+4 min Cucurella’s cross is blocked by Ryurson but Chelsea retrieve possession and Felix plays him back in … but this time he overhits and Brandt plays back to Kobel.
90+2 min “As a neutral (Liverpool fan if you must),” says Colum Fordham, “I am enjoying Emre Can’s performance this evening, always in the right place at the right time. To be frank, I wish he was still playing for the Reds. Have Chelsea spent vast sums wisely, one might ask?”
I think they’ve bought some good players, yeah, but they need a centre-forward and presumably couldn’t get one they wanted mid-season. It may well be that they’re the only team prepared to pay what Napoli will demand for Victor Osimhen.
90+1 min We’ll have five added minutes.
90 min EVERYTHING that NO ONE wants to see! Ryerson sticks one on Mount, runs away with Mount and some of the Chelsea bench pursuing him, someone chucks the ball at Sule … and there’s a brief scuffle involving both benches, before Sule and Mount are booked. Goodness me, imagine a square-go between those two. Oh, and Ryerson is also carded – that’s 10 in total – so he’ll miss the second leg.
88 min “Apparently his second audible output was: ‘Until now, everything was satisfactory’,” laughs John Deering of Wittgenstein.
86 min Ziyech fancies this, but whips his shot a foot or two wide of the near post.
85 min Mount sneaks through the middle and has shot blocked by Schlotterbeck, who’s been gigantic tonight, then when the ball ricochets to Ziyech, his thumped effort is blocked by Guerreiro. Excellent de-fence from both, but then Ozcan shoves Felix over – he’s booked – and Chelsea have another free-kick, 25 yards out, further right of centre this time…
82 min Dortmund have done a good job closing down Felix’s space in the second half, but as I type that, here he is, James sliding across the box and Fernandez sliding into the box; his shot is saved easily enough.
82 min Ryerson escapes down the right and swings over a cross towards Modeste. But the ball loops off the turf, which allows James to get back at his man, and with help from Silva, he clears. Then Chelsea counter, of course they do, and Schlotterbeck slides in to unload Havertz without giving away a penalty, just about.
80 min But what is a gittens, and why would I want to buy one?
79 min Dortmund send Bynoe- Gittens on for Adeyemi.
78 min …and Kobel will punch it away. He’s looked pretty secure tonight … but as I type that, there he is again, Ziyech weaving infield, pulling back, and Koulibaly, alone in the box, has time! He takes a touch, flings all of himself into a low shot, and Kobel dives to parry … but he went early and the ball’s rolling towards the goal … except here comes Can, sliding in to clear from under the bar! I thought that was in even at the moment of impact, but there’s no signal so that is stupendous defending from the old man!
77 min Adeyemi gets his own back, yanking down Ziyech on the right. Ziyech will curl in the free-kick…
75 min “Well, if you’re looking at musical prodigies,” emails Geoff Wignall, “Stevland Morris secured his first Motown contract by auditioning some of his own material. He was 11 years old. Oh, and of course they renamed him Little Stevie Wonder. And in sport how about a shout for Andy Farrell being not just Wigan but also GB rugby league captain by the age of 21? On the other hand, apparently Einstein didn’t speak until he was three, making him an early starter compared with Wittgenstein whose alleged first words at the age of four, in translation, were, ‘This soup has too much salt’.”
Stevie is one of the great musical geniuses – in my lifetime, Prince and McCartney are the only two who come close, I think. And tangentially, Ray Monk’s Wittgenstein biography is excellent.
74 min City have beaten Arsenal 3-1 and now lead the league on goal difference, but have played a game more. Join Scott Murray for all the reaction.
73 min Dortmund send on Ryerson for Wolf.
72 min Chelsea send on Cucurella and Mount for Chilwell and Mudryk, then win a corner and Ziyech, leaping with Adeyemi, splatters the goalscorer and is booked.
71 min “Julian Brandt has been one of those ‘almost there’ players for years,” says Justin Madson. “This year, he seems to have made that extra step - he’s looked full of class today and this season. What’s the difference you ask? Due to a skin condition, he’s gone fully gluten-free and histamine-free in his diet over the past year. Not only did it resolve his skin issues, it’s allowed him to trim down and get that extra half-step that enhances his game so much. The lives of footballers continue to fascinate.”
Yup, sport is an art but science is part of it.
70 min Oh, and on away goals, this game shows they’re not necessary to incite teams into aggression. Some play that way, some don’t.
69 min Chelsea need not panic, because now away goals are gone, 1-0 away isn’t the terrible result it once was. But they can’t be conceding again, especially given how difficult they find it to score.
68 min Dortmund send on Modeste for Haller.
65 min I should say, well played ref for not blowing up for offside.
64 min So it was option b). Chelsea haven’t created chances as good as in the first half, and have been punished for missing them.
GOAL! Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea (Adeyemi 62)Yes I know you’re thinking what are you talking about, Chelsea have a corner, I’m thinking it too, but when the ball comes in, Felix tries to head across into the far corner, the flag goes up, and Ozcan hooks away … and Adeyemi collects! He’s running at Fernandez, who does his best to jockey, but as soon as Adeyewi makes his move, niping outside, he’s away! And as Kepa comes out, Adeyemi rounds him – we don’t see that often these days, which is a shame – and slots home! Brilliantly taken and a brilliant buzz of a passage!
62 min Nice from felix, who slips a reverse-pass down the side for Mudryk, whose first cross is blocked. But he goes again, the ball bobbles about, and when Ziyech knocks back, Kobel has to tip James’ shot into the ground over the top.
60 min Mudryk has space to run at Can and he fancies himself, but he picks the wrong line, taking ball too close to man, and is robbed. Still, though, Chilwell wins his team a corner off Wolf … and Kobel punches clear, then the ball drops to the edge, both Mudryk and Fernandez fancy it … and the latter shanks wide.
59 min By the way, City now lead 3-1 at Arsenal; can you guess who scored? A clue: it was for the 32nd time this season.
57 min Again, Dortmund counter, Adeyemi cutting back for Brandt, whose low shot is saved, then Chelsea race down the other end and Fernandez’s shot is saved. I wonder if he’s been ordered to get forward, because we’re seeing much more of him this half.
56 min Dortmund get the free-kick away, then James fouls someone, I missed who, and Bellingham keeps it moving before the ref can think about sending his mate off. The commentators characterise it as sportsmanship, but really it’s confidence: he doesn’t care who the other team have, because he’s certain he’s better than all of them.
55 min … and it James who hits it, curling over the wall, just a little too deliberately and not near enough the corner, so Kobel is able to dive and shove away from inside his near post. But Chelsea maintain pressure, Can shoving Chilwell over down the left, and if he’s not been booked he gets booked for that. I’m glad he’s not been sent off, but he’s very lucky, and perhaps we need a halfway house between yellow and red.
54 min James breaks forward, the perfect combination of power and grace, so Can boots him as you’d have to. He’s booked, and Chelsea have a free-kick 25 yards out, just right of centre; James and Ziyech are behind it…
52 min “Paul McCartney PAH!!” snipes Lloyd Mills. “George Harrison was 17 when he and his band mates shared a room on the naughtiest street in Hamburg. They gave him a round of applause when he finally lost his virginity.”
Didn’t that happen to you?
51 min Bit of Chelsea pressure, Fernandez flicking the ball behind his own standing leg to make room for a shot … which he absolutely crunches, but Bellingham’s there to block. The visitors have started the half well and are, as we discussed earlier, starting to look like a team.
49 min Bellingham slides after the ball and past Chilwell, who goes down howling. I didn’t see any contact and Belligham was not at all pleased, but the ref brandishes a yellow at the number 22, its recipient refusing to give it face.
48 min On Dortmund, they’ve struggled to find space when attacking because Chelsea re packing the box and defending deep, so they might want to chuck another striker on so they’ve a bit more presence when the ball’s mixahd.
47 min Meantime, Mudryk slides a fine reverse-pass into the box for Chilwell, who’s tackled at cost of a corner; Dortmund get it away immediately and get themselves up the pitch.
46 min What I’ve seen of Felix so far, I’m sure Chelsea will want to keep him – and if they do, that spells trouble for Mount. Oh, and I’ve just learnt that James was booked in the first half, so that’s half of Chelsea’s back four who need to be careful.
46 min We go again…
