Our 5️⃣ points as Chelsea and Benfica book tickets to UCL quarterfinals | OneFootball

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Adam Booker·7 March 2023

Our 5️⃣ points as Chelsea and Benfica book tickets to UCL quarterfinals

Article image:Our 5️⃣ points as Chelsea and Benfica book tickets to UCL quarterfinals

Impressive performances from Chelsea and Benfica saw the pair book their spots in the Champions League quarterfinals.

Here are our five points from Tuesday’s action.


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Benfica can’t be taken lightly

Article image:Our 5️⃣ points as Chelsea and Benfica book tickets to UCL quarterfinals

Despite not coming from one of Europe’s top leagues, Benfica look like a serious threat.

Alongside coasting towards the Portuguese title, the Lisbon side came out on top of a Champions League group that featured PSG and Juventus and now dismantled Club Brugge.

Their 7-1 thrashing over two legs showed their attacking thrust on full display. The combination of Rafa Silva, João Mário, and Gonçalo Ramos can be considered one of Europe’s most formidable attacking trios at the moment.

They have yet to lose a game in Europe as well and have scored two or more goals in 17 of 19 home games across all competitions.

While they will head into the quarterfinals as heavy underdogs no matter the opponent they draw, their role in shaping the Champions League landscape this spring can not be undermined.


Are Chelsea a sleeping giant?

Article image:Our 5️⃣ points as Chelsea and Benfica book tickets to UCL quarterfinals

Chelsea’s struggles since the turn of the year have been no secret. An expensively assembled squad failing to score goals and win games has been a tough watch for even the most hardened Chelsea fans.

However, Tuesday evening’s showing against Borussia Dortmund can serve as a reminder that this team is underperforming, and is never too far away from turning a corner.

Graham Potter’s men looked far more threatening with the ball at their feet against the Bundesliga outfit. A measly tally of just five goals scored in 2023 before Tuesday could be put in the rearview mirror if Chelsea can replicate their performance against Dortmund going forward.

And if talismanic attackers like Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling can start to rediscover their shooting boots, Chelsea could be a force to reckon with on the European front once again.

Don’t count the Blues out just yet. Potter seems to have found his perfect recipe after back-to-back wins in all competitions.


Some things never change

Article image:Our 5️⃣ points as Chelsea and Benfica book tickets to UCL quarterfinals

If any year felt like the year for Dortmund to pull off an upset on English soil, it was this one.

Having come into the night with 10 ten wins from 10 in 2023, BVB’s limp performance at Stamford Bridge will leave a sour taste in the mouth of Edin Terzić.

It was also the first time the club was left off the scoresheet in four months.

To make matters worse, Dortmund lost the services of Julian Brandt early on, as the German appeared to suffer a hamstring injury. His loss could have a big impact on the Bundesliga title race with Karim Adeyemi also out.

Perhaps luck simply wasn’t on their side. Marius Wolf’s handball was a 50/50 call and having Havertz retake a penalty was also an unfortunate scene. Still it won’t matter in the end as they once again fall at an early stage.

Dortmund never do things the easy way, do they!?


Bellingham’s nudge for the next step

The world knows Jude Bellingham is one of the most wanted players in European football heading into the summer.

With clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Liverpool all said to be in for the Englishman, an early exit from the Champions League could reveal the frustrating reality of not playing at one of Europe’s super-clubs.

The 19-year-0ld is already a starter in Gareth Southgate’s England team and will be the ‘main man’ for whatever club he eventually signs for in the summer.

It was a shock early exit from the Champions League that some say was the final nail in Erling Haaland’s departure from Dortmund for Manchester City last summer.

Fizzling out in the Champions League to an out-of-form Chelsea could see Jude being set for similar circumstances.


Maybe Chelsea didn’t need a spending spree?

Article image:Our 5️⃣ points as Chelsea and Benfica book tickets to UCL quarterfinals

Chelsea’s January spending spree was a sight to behold. The London club spent £323 million in the winter window in an effort to build Potter a squad full of future stars.

But perhaps an impressive showing in tonight’s Champions League clash revealed that the Blues didn’t need to splash the cash after all?

The winning goals came from Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling, two players from before the January window. Not to mention some superb performances from home-grown talent such as Reece James, Ben Chilwell, and Conor Gallagher saw the Blues over the line against a red-hot BVB side.

Mykhailo Mudryk did not feature off the bench, and Benoît Badiashile didn’t even make the Champions League squad! Maybe Potter could have convinced the club to hold off just for a bit.