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Chelsea secured qualification to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the round-of-16 second leg, progressing 2-1 on aggregate.
The victory was just the third in 10 games that Graham Potter's men have achieved, having won 1-0 against Leeds United in the Premier League in their previous game. The result, however, eased the pressure on the manager and his players.
Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz scored a goal either side of half-time as Chelsea dug deep in the dying stages to shut Borussia Dortmund out and seal the win. The German missed a penalty before being awarded a re-take, which he then converted.
Speaking to BT Sport after the game, Havertz was all-praise for his manager, backing him to do well with the Blues. He said:
"In the media I cannot believe how many people talk about him, we have 100’s of coaches in England who think they know better than him, we know in the changing room he's a big personality and a big manager and helps us all a lot."
Havertz has made 33 appearances for the west Londoners this season, scoring seven goals and providing one assist. He will be looking to fire them to success in the Champions League again this season, having scored the cup-winning goal back in 2021 against Manchester City.
Chelsea will look to overturn their poor Premier League form
Despite doing well in the Champions League and making it to the quarter-finals, the Blues are struggling in the league. They are 10th in the table with 34 points from 25 games, having won just nine games this season. Potter's men have won just two, drawn six and lost four of their last 10 games in the league.
The fixture list does not get any easier for Chelsea, though, who will face Liverpool, Manchester United, Brighton and Arsenal in April. They are currently 11 points adrift of the top four and will look to make a push for at least some European football.
The Blues will travel to face Leicester City in their next game in the Premier League on Saturday, March 11.
