UEFA Champions League action continues on Tuesday as the first quarterfinal places will be handed out. Chelsea face an uphill battle against Borussia Dortmund after losing the opening leg 1-0.
Bookmaker 10bet is offering odds at 2.25 for Chelsea to turn around the tie and quality for the next round, while the odds are at 1.90 for a full-time victory for the Blues on Tuesday.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: March 6th, 9:30 A.M. (EST)
Chelsea are favorites for the night despite the team having so far had a nightmare of a year and Dortmund having gone from strength to strength. Edin Terzic’s team won a 10th consecutive game last Friday against Leipzig, equaling a club record with an eight-game winning streak in the Bundesliga.
Led by Jude Bellingham, the Dortmund team is scoring goals for fun and must feel unbeatable at present. No other side in the Big Five European leagues has won all of its games in 2023.
The 2022-23 Champions League campaign has been a true coming-out party for Bellingham. He has recorded four goals and an assist across six outings and seems to be involved in almost every dangerous move Dortmund makes. Chelsea boss Graham Potter will definitely need to have a special game plan prepared for Bellingham.
Potter and his men finally tasted victory again over the weekend in taking down Leeds United 1-0. It’s only the second win Chelsea have earned in 2023. There have been six defeats and four draws across 12 games, which is clearly far from a good enough form for a team of Chelsea’s caliber.
Could a big result in Europe help the team stop the rot? The Premier League campaign is pretty much ruined already for the Blues but they could still make a deep run in the Champions League. Success on the continental stage would certainly help ease the pressure on Potter and it might also eventually help the team to get back on track in the league.
With only five goals scored in 2023, it’s very obvious which department needs improvement the most. There is plenty of creativity in the Chelsea squad but there’s a lack of a true goalscorer and it’s hurt the team throughout the campaign. Now, they don’t even have Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang registered for Champions League action. This puts extra responsibility on others in front of the goal and Tuesday night would be a great spot for Chelsea to kick into gear offensively.
