Chelsea 2-0 Borussia Dortmund (2-1 agg): Player Ratings as Havertz and Sterling score to carry the Blues through | UEFA Champions League 2022-23

Chelsea put on a resilient display to secure a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday, March 7. The win sees them progress to the quarterfinals 2-1 on aggregate.

The Blues entered this contest on the back of three defeats, one draw, and a solitary victory in their last five games across competitions. They lost the first leg by a narrow one-goal margin, courtesy of a goal scored by Karim Adeyemi.

Graham Potter's men then lost 1-0 to Southampton and 2-0 to Tottenham before finally registering a win against Leeds United. Knowing this was going to be a do-or-die game, Potter fielded a strong XI as Chelsea needed to win by two clear goals to qualify.

Both Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund made a dynamic start to the game with the hosts creating multiple chances early on. They forced Alexander Meyer into making an early save to keep the visitors in the game. Dortmund then kept the ball for extended spells and spread the play across the pitch as each player passed and moved well.

Kai Havertz had the first big chance come his way as his shot struck the right upright and bounced out for a goal-kick. He had the ball in the back of the net later in the half but Raheem Sterling was offside in the build-up and it did not stand. Chelsea ended the first half with a flourish as Raheem Sterling smashed the ball in from close-range to make it 1-0.

The Blues maintained the pressure for three added minutes but Borussia Dortmund did well to fend them off going into the break.

Chelsea made a great start to the second half as they looked to score and take the game beyond Borussia Dortmund's reach. There was drama just three minutes after the restart as Chelsea were awarded a penalty and Havertz stepped up to take it. The German struck the right upright once again as his attempt bounced out. However, there was encroachment and the spot-kick was re-taken.

Havertz scored on the second attempt as Chelsea led 2-1 on aggregate with over 40 minutes left to play. Both managers then turned to their respective benches as they looked to alter things. However, the hosts put in a dogged defensive display combined with gamesmanship to close out the game. Potter's men won 2-0 and progressed to the quarterfinals.

On that note, let's take a look at the Blues' player ratings.

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Chelsea Player Ratings

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Kepa Arrizabalaga - 7/10

Kepa made four crucial saves to deny Dortmund as he earned his clean sheet. He was booked for time-wasting in the second half.

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Wesley Fofana - 6.5/10

Fofana put in an assured defensive display as he won six of his 10 duels, making three clearances and three tackles. He also played one long ball.

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Kalidou Koulibaly - 7.5/10

Koulibaly put in a solid defensive display as he won eight of his 12 duels, making six clearances, three tackles, and two interceptions. He also played one key pass and two long balls.

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Marc Cucurella - 6.5/10

Cucurella won two duels, making four interceptions and one clearance. He also played one long ball and was booked for arguing with the referee late in the game.

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Reece James - 7/10

James won three duels, playing two long balls and one key pass. He also made five interceptions and two clearances.

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Mateo Kovacic - 7/10

Kovacic had a decent game as he won seven duels, making four tackles, two interceptions, and one clearance. He also completed three dribbles.

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Enzo Fernandez - 6.5/10

Fernandez won four duels, making three tackles, two clearances, and one block. He also completed one dribble and was booked for committing a foul.

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Ben Chilwell - 7.5/10

Chilwell had a very eventful game as he was in the thick of things on both the offensive and defensive end for Chelsea. He won four duels, making two clearances, two interceptions, and two tackles. He also played two key passes, two crosses, and one long ball. Chilwell was booked for arguing with the referee.

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Raheem Sterling - 7.5/10

Sterling lurked around Dortmund's 18-yard box and burst into life midway through the first half. He scored in the 43rd minute to level the game on aggregate with a thumping finish. He also played one key pass and one long ball.

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Joao Felix - 7/10

Felix won five of his seven duels and completed two dribbles. He also attempted two shots on target and played one key pass.

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Kai Havertz - 8/10

Havertz started the game well and saw a driven shot bounce off the woodwork just before the half-hour mark. He scored a goal a few minutes later but it was canceled as Sterling was offside in the build-up. He made up for that with a penalty in the second period to make it 2-0. Havertz won seven duels, played two key passes, and completed three dribbles.

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Substitutes

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Conor Gallagher - 6.5/10

Gallagher replaced Felix and added fresh legs in midfield as Chelsea looked to protect their lead and close the game out.

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Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christian Pulisic & Denis Zakaria - N/A

The trio came on late in the game and did not play enough minutes to warrant a rating.