"3 more games until Mudryk joins Sancho in the 007 club" - Twitter erupts as Chelsea suffer damaging 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund

Chelsea were unable to secure a win over Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park as they lost 1-0 in the Champions League round of 16.

It was a high-paced game as the ball entered the Dortmund net early on, but the scoreline soon reverted to 0-0 after a check for handball. A free-kick from Reece James ended up in the back of the net off Thiago Silva's hand, prompting the referee to disallow the goal and caution the defender.

On the other end, a massive opportunity was tantalizingly close for Sebastien Haller as Julian Brandt drifted in from the right flank and played him through. However, the Dortmund striker could not find the target from close range, sending the shot wide into the side-netting.

Joao Felix was a bright spot for the Blues. He was at the center of an impressive move late in the first half. Hakim Ziyech crossed a low ball back to the Portugal international for a glorious opportunity, and his shot was well-struck, but it sailed over the bar.

Felix had another massive chance moments later, as Kai Havertz drifted wide and created space for him. He got past his marker and lifted his effort over Grego Kobel, only for it to hit the crossbar and keep the scores level at halftime.

Chelsea opened the second half with a spark. Havertz and Enzo Fernandez both had their shots stopped by the Dortmund defense. Kobel was then able to claim Ziyech's cross, which had been intended for Havertz.

The Blues continued to hound the final third of their hosts, to no avail, and suddenly Dortmund took the lead. They broke away on a sharp counterattack through Karim Adeyemi.

Adeyemi's run was electric as he drove out of his own half with the ball, breezed past Fernandez, and rounded Kepa Arrizabalaga before coolly bagging the lead.

The Blues sought other chances. Kalidou Koulibaly got forward in attack and fired a powerful shot that burst through the palms of goalkeeper Kobel. Emre Can was quick to react, though, and cleared the ball away just as it seemed to be on its way into the goal, with the match ending in Dortmund's favor.

Chelsea's loss to Dortmund earns Graham Potter some negative attention

The loss against Dortmund in the Champions League has put Chelsea manager Graham Potter in a bad light. Despite top-tier acquisitions like Joao Felix, the coach has seemingly been unable to bring success to Stamford Bridge. Fans are calling for him to be sacked as they grow all the more impatient with each passing poor performance.

The Blues will look to get back to winning ways when they face Southampton next in the Premier League.

About the author

Nnanna is a European and international football journalist who has been covering news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda for around 5 years. A keen interest in reading and football since an early age, watching games at local stadiums with family paved the way for him to take up the sport professionally.

Nnanna’s favorite club is English team Bolton Wanderers because he witnessed Nigeria legend Jay-Jay Okocha's play for them between 2002 and 2006. His favorite footballer is Ronaldinho due to the Brazilian's love for the sport and admires Pep Guardiola for redefining football tactics. As a former literature student, Nnanna reckons that the best way of connecting with the readers is to add a bit of empathy in his writing, and relies on trusted websites like Transfermarkt and WhoScored for his articles.

Lionel Messi lifting the World Cup trophy in 2022 is Nnanna’s favorite FIFA World Cup moment, and also follows Major League Soccer due to the diminutive Argentine. He strongly believes that Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland could be the next two superstars in the same light as legendary pair Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

When not writing, he likes to play Football Manager and other simulation games.

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