Chelsea-Borussia Dortmund: Champions League 1/8 final preview

After the draw for the 1/8 finals of the Champions League, the attention of many football fans was attracted by a pair of Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund. Judging by the current form, this match looks like one of the most even on paper and Dortmund will be determined to beat Chelsea in 2023. By the way, if they do, then surely the Blues will do everything possible to sign Jude Bellingham as early as the summer transfer window. However, this is a completely different story.

By the time the playoffs kick off, Chelsea could be a completely different club, but right now it’s hard to see how successful head coach Graham Potter will be in the team. The same can be said about their opponent, who is trained by a new specialist. In any case, if you bet on PinUp uz, then this match cannot be missed.

Bookmakers offer interesting odds, but there is no clear favorite here and cannot be. Let’s take a look at how the teams made it through the Champions League group stage and what are their chances of reaching the quarter-finals.

Chelsea’s path to the Champions League round of 16

The London-based club started their Champions League adventure with a nasty misfire in Zagreb, where they lost 1-0 to local Dynamo. In the second round, the Chelsea players also failed to win, having painted a world draw with Salzburg at their home stadium (1:1). In the future, the Londoners had almost no room for error and they were able to beat Milan 3:0 at home and 0:2 away. The Blues also won their final matches. First, they dealt with Salzburg in Austria (1:2), and after that they were stronger than Dinamo Zagreb already at home (2:1).
Thus, after an unsuccessful start in the group stage of the Champions League, the Chelsea players were able to turn the tide in their favor and got 4 victories in a row. The main question in the run-up to the play-off match against Borussia will be in what composition and with what coach the team will fit for these games, because a lot can happen during the winter transfer window.

Borussia Dortmund’s path to the 1/8 finals of the Champions League

The German team had a more difficult group, at least due to the fact that Manchester City played in it, which are in fantastic shape. In the first round, Dortmund beat Copenhagen 3-0, but lost to Manchester City in the next match (2-1). In two matches against Sevilla, the players of Edin Terzic were able to get 4 points out of a possible 6. Initially, Borussia played the Spaniards on the road and scored a 1:4 victory, and a 1:1 draw was recorded in the home meeting. In the remaining two fights, the Germans twice painted the world with their rivals. Initially, they played 0:0 in a home meeting against the team of Pep Guardiola, and in the final round they could not defeat Copenhagen in Denmark (1:1).

Despite the fact that Borussia managed to win only 2 out of 6 matches, this was more than enough to qualify for the playoffs from 2nd place. Dortmund broke away from 3rd place, where Sevilla is located by as much as 4 points.

Odds for the match Chelsea – Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund have finally reached the round of 16 this season after a failed campaign a year ago. Borussia Dortmund players finished behind Manchester City in their group. Dortmund have been volatile in recent years and new manager Edin Terzic should certainly see that volatility continue under him.

Chelsea are also preparing for this match with a new coach. Graham Potter took over from former Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel in early September. Potter’s team took 1st place in their group ahead of Eintracht. However, Chelsea are already questioning Potter’s work due to a slurred performance in the English Premier League.

The bookmakers have set the following odds for the teams to reach the quarterfinals:

• Access to the 1/4 finals of Chelsea – 1.50.
• Access to the 1/4 finals of Borussia Dortmund – 2.50.

As you can see, bookmaker analysts estimate the chances of the British higher, and this state of affairs is fair. Londoners have a group of players who know how to win in Europe. Therefore, we believe that in a difficult match on aggregate, Chelsea will win and will be able to go to the next round of the playoffs, where the Londoners will surely face an even more serious opponent.