A Dortmund on a roll puts Chelsea's revolution to the test

MADRID, 14 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Borussia Dortmund receives Chelsea this Wednesday in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 that seem to be open to anything, with some Germans in full swing who receive some 'blues' who, despite their flashy signings in winter, is going through a slump in results.

At the imposing BVB Stadion in Dortmund, Borussia receives a full welcome, full of victories at the start of this year 2023, a Chelsea that in the group stage of this 'Champions' displayed its best football; the same one that now shines by its absence.

The fortunes of the draw meant that the coach's classmates Edin Terzic and Graham Potter faced each other. A coincidence that will allow us to see what style of football prevails, in a first leg that can be more decisive than in other duels if Dortmund knows how to impose its good moment.

"I know Graham well and I like him very much. I wish him luck in all the games, except for the two against us," Terzic commented on Potter in the run-up to this first duel, where Karim Adeyemi and Englishman Jude Bellingham will be two of the dangers of Dortmund against a Chelsea that wants to breathe again that good oxygen that it had previously in this 'Champions'.

Despite the losses of Thorgan Hazard and Abdoulaye Kamara, Dortmund recovered Mahmoud Dahoud and especially Sébastien Haller in winter, leaving behind his testicular cancer problems. His return gave his teammates a moral boost, now third in the Bundesliga, just 3 points behind leader Bayern Munich after an immaculate streak.

At Chelsea, the revolution made in the winter market, with the signings of former Atlético de Madrid player João Félix, world champion Enzo Fernández and Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk, is not immediately bearing fruit. Only a victory against Crystal Palace and three draws in the last days leave a way to improve and cover.

By contrast, in the group stage the Londoners were first and with a good game, beating Milan, Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb. Now they hope to recover that dynamic, integrate the reinforcements and be feared again. Dortmund, meanwhile, was second behind Manchester City, eliminating Sevilla and Copenhagen.

This Wednesday also features the first leg of the round of 16 match between Bruges and Benfica, at the Jan Breydelstadion in the beautiful city of Flanders. A tie in which Benfica would start as favourites, after knocking out Juventus and beating PSG in the group stage, despite the sale of Enzo Fernández.

The Portuguese are on a very long good run of results, without knowing defeat in the last 28 games. Still alive in the Cup, they dominate the Portuguese Primeira Liga with a 5-point margin over Porto. And, without a doubt, they return to the 'Champions' without pressure and with the illusion of continuing where they were before the break.

Opposite, yes, a Bruges that was one of the surprises of the group stage, beating Leverkusen and Atlético de Madrid as second in Group B and with a single defeat, against the leader Porto. Roman Yaremchuk, former Benfica player, makes the duel attractive, as well as seeing Scott Parker, a coach who arrived this winter, trying to overcome what was done by his predecessor Carl Hoefkens, dismissed despite putting Bruges in the Champions League for the first time '.