Illustration photo – Chelsea's Thiago Silva scores a goal with his hand at Dortmund in the first round of the Champions League on February 15, 2023.
Prague – The Champions League will recognize the first two of the eight quarter-finalists on Tuesday. The round of 16 rematches will start with a clash between the English and German big clubs, in which Chelsea will try to turn around the double-header with the wild Dortmund after a 0-1 away defeat. In the simultaneously played duel, favored Benfica Lisbon should, according to paper assumptions, consolidate progress at home against Bruges after the opening 2:0 victory.
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Chelsea and Dortmund are in different form. While Borussia have won all 10 competitive matches of the spring season and are second in the Bundesliga on points behind leaders Bayern Munich, the Londoners claimed their first win after six games and three successive defeats at the weekend. They are ranked 10th in the Premier League.
Chelsea had more chances in the opening match between them and their coach Graham Potter believes they can turn the match against Borussia at home. “Blues” advanced in eight out of 14 cup double matches, in which they initially lost away, then after a 0:1 defeat, they turned all three at their stadium. Last year's Champions League winner can reach the quarter-finals for the third season in a row.
“We created countless chances in the first leg. I'm upset about the unnecessary goal we conceded. But we're only at half-time. A win at the weekend will certainly help us. It's going to be an amazing game with a great atmosphere and I'm sure we can turn it around, said Potter. Chelsea have only lost the last of their 10 home cup games against German opponents.
Dortmund will be aiming for their second quarter-final appearance in the last three seasons. But he suffered five defeats in a row on English soil, including a 1:2 loss in the group with Manchester City. In the rematch, Borussia will have to do without the injured scorer of the only goal of the opening match, Karim Adeyemi. Londoners also have a big mess.
Dortmund have lost just two, including the last of 19 cup double-headers, in which they won at home to start. “It's going to be a brutal game. I've played at Stamford Bridge a few times and I know how difficult it is there. But we won the first game and so we have to go into revenge with confidence,” said Borussia midfielder and former Liverpool player Emre Can.
< p>The second round of 16 rematch should be a mere formality, according to bookmakers. Benfica won 2:0 in the opening match in Bruges, and in the return match at home, even a one-goal defeat would be enough for them to advance.
The current leader of the Portuguese league failed in only one of the 21 cup double-headers in which they won away from home. Benfica are unbeaten in 18 domestic competitive matches this season and are unbeaten in their stadium against Belgian opponents in nine.
“The situation is clear. We won in Bruges and if the opponent wants to qualify for the quarter-finals, at some point will have to attack. Whether they start like that right from the start or later remains to be seen. We have to focus on ourselves,” said Benfica's German coach Roger Schmidt.
While the Lisbon side are aiming for a second consecutive quarter-final berth, Club Brugge are new to the knockout stages. The fourth team of the Belgian league in the group won at the ground of another Portuguese team Porto by a huge 4:0, but lost all five cup double matches, in which they suffered defeat at home.
“It's two games. If you pull off a debacle in the first one, it's over, but that's not the case. In the second leg, we have to be extremely efficient in the penalty area and then anything can happen,” said Brugge's English coach Scott Parker.
Both round of 16 second legs kick off on Tuesday at 21:00.
Interesting things before Tuesday's round of 16 return matches:
Benfica Lisbon – FC Bruges
Kick-off: Tuesday 7 March, 21:00.
First leg: 2:0.
Referee: Meler – Eyisoy, Komurcuoglu (all Tur.) – Munuera (video, Sp.).
Balance: 1 1-0-0 2:0.
Interesting points:< /strong>
– the teams are meeting in UEFA competitions for the first time in the ongoing round of 16
– Benfica lost only 4 out of 22 matches against Belgian opponents in UEFA competitions and failed to find a winner 6 times in a row
– Benfica in Unbeaten in 9 home matches against Belgian opponents
– Bruges lost 5 of the last 6 duels with Portuguese teams
– Bruges won in the group at another Portuguese team Porto 4:0
– Benfica is playing in the knockout stages of the Champions League for the second time in a row, last year they knocked out Ajax Amsterdam in the round of 16
– Bruges progressed from the group to the round of 16 of the Champions League for the first time
– Benfica did not find a winner in this season of the Champions League, they did not lose in 6 matches in the group (including 4 wins)
– Bruges won the opening 3 matches in the group (without conceding a goal), in the other 3 duels they did not score (2x 0:0 draw)
– Benfica lost only one of the last 12 competitive duels (on penalties in the domestic cup)
– Benfica are unbeaten in 18 home competitive matches this season
– Benfica have lost just 3 of their last 24 home games in European Cups
– Benfica have lost only one of their 21 cup double-headers in which they won away from home
– Bruges have won only one of their last 6 competitive duels
– Bruges have won only one of their last 6 away matches
– Bruges have lost all 5 cup double-headers, in which they first suffered defeat at home
– Benfica leads the Portuguese league, Bruges are fourth in the domestic competition
– Gilberto (Benfica) celebrates his 30th birthday on the day of the match, Mignolet (Brugge) turns 35 today
Chelsea FC – Borussia Dortmund
Kick-off: Tuesday 7 March, 21:00.
First match: 0:1.
Referees: Makkelie – Honig, De Vries – Van Boekel (video, all Niz.).
Balance: 1 0-0-1 0:1.
Interesting points:
– teams in the ongoing round of 16, they meet in UEFA competitions for the first time
– Chelsea have not won 5 times in a row against German teams
– Chelsea have only lost the last of their 10 home games against German opponents in the cups (0:3 with Bayern Munich)
– Dortmund claimed their first win over an English opponent in UEFA competitions after 10 games in the opening match between them
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– Dortmund in the group with another English team Manchester City lost 1:2 away and drew 0:0 at home
– Dortmund lost 5 times in a row on English soil
– Chelsea can advance to the quarter-finals for the third season in a row, having dominated the Champions League the year before
– Dortmund can reach the quarter-finals for the second time in the last 3 seasons
– Chelsea lost at the beginning of the group, but then they did not find a winner 5 times in a row and won in the last 4 matches
– Dortmund lost only one of 6 games in the group and a draw in the last 3 duels
– Chelsea beat Leeds 1-0 at the weekend to win after 6 games and a run of 3 losses without a goal
– Chelsea have lost only 3 of the last 18 home games in UEFA competitions
– Chelsea have advanced in 8 of the 14 cup double-headers in which they lost the opener away, after a 0-1 defeat, they have turned all 3 at home
– Dortmund won all 10 competitive matches of the spring part of the season and equaled a club record with their eighth consecutive victory in the Bundesliga on Friday. including the last of the 19 cup double-headers in which he won at home to begin with
– Chelsea is 10th in the English league, Dortmund is second in the Bundesliga by a score behind Bayern Munich
