Despite a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 meeting with Borussia Dortmund, Graham Potter believes that Chelsea are heading in the right direction.
Chelsea’s hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals of the Champions League have taken a hit following their 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their last-16 tie against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.
Despite having more attempts on goal than the hosts (21 to 14), the Blues were unable to find the back of the net, with Joao Felix’s first-half effort hitting the crossbar. Meanwhile, Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi scored the game’s only goal in the second half, evading Enzo Fernandez before rounding Kepa Arrizabalaga and calmly slotting the ball into an empty net.
Chelsea manager Graham Potter admitted that his team has to do better, saying “We were pushing at the time (of the goal) and were the better team so to concede in that manner is what we’re disappointed in, but the players are honest. They know they can do better with that.” However, he also chose to focus on the positives, noting that the performance was “another step forward for us.”
Potter had handed starts to Reece James, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ben Chilwell, and Kalidou Koulibaly, with the former two making their first appearances in quite some time.
Although the team struggled to pick up the speed of the Champions League, Potter believes they did well, and hopes that they will improve before the sides meet again at Stamford Bridge on March 7.
Chelsea will now have to quickly regroup as they prepare for the return leg against a Dortmund side that has won their last seven matches. While the task may seem daunting, the Blues will be determined to turn things around and progress to the next round of the competition.