"Absolutely outstanding" - Joe Cole blown away by 23-year-old Chelsea star's performance against Borussia Dortmund

Former Chelsea and Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole has praised Blues attacker Kai Havertz for his display against Borussia Dortmund.

Graham Potter's side hosted the German outfit in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash on Tuesday, March 7. Trailing by a goal after the first leg in Germany, the Premier League giants needed an outright win by a difference of more than one goal to qualify for the quarterfinals.

Havertz, who has struggled this season, delivered a superb performance to help Chelsea win the match 2-0 and progress 2-1 on aggregate. The 23-year-old was involved in most of his side's good moments at Stamford Bridge and scored the decisive second goal from the penalty spot in the 53rd minute.

Cole, who was on punditry duty for BT Sport, lauded the German forward and said (as quoted by The Chelsea Chronicle):

“Kai Havertz was coming into the game. [Michael] Owen is right, he was absolutely outstanding tonight.”

Kai Havertz notably had a thunderous strike disallowed for offside in the build-up in the first half. He also spurned his initial opportunity from the penalty spot, hitting the post. However, an encroachment meant the referee called for a re-take. This time, Havertz found the bottom corner with a superb strike.

The forward ended the match with a passing accuracy of 87%, two key passes and six successful duels. He also completed all three of his dribble attempts and made a tackle.

🔎 | FOCUS

Kai Havertz v Borussia Dortmund:

👌 51 touches
⚽️ 1 goal
🎯 5 shots/1 on target (1.06 xG)
🔑 2 key passes
👟 28/32 accurate passes
💨 3/3 successful dribbles
⚔️ 7/16 duels won
🪵 1 woodwork hit
📈 7.9 Sofascore rating

He's our Player of the Match! 🌟

#CHEBVB #UCL https://t.co/CGGpiSE00O

Chelsea win two matches on the bounce for the first time since October 2022

Chelsea have undoubtedly endured a rough few months since the end of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Blues won just two of their 12 matches across all competitions in December, January and February.

The run saw them drop out of the FA Cup and EFL Cup and lose ground in their pursuit of a top-four finish in the Premier League. Graham Potter's men also fell to a 1-0 deficit against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.

However, March seems to have brought a fresh lease of life for the Blues. They have now picked up two victories on the bounce for the first time since October last year when they won five in a row across the league and Champions League.

Love this. 👌

#UCL https://t.co/jhAfGUQHTP

Prior to the 2-0 win over Dortmund on Tuesday, Chelsea beat Leeds United 1-0 over the weekend thanks to Wesley Fofana's second-half header. Potter's men will look to extend their winning run when they take on Leicester City at the King Power Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday, March 11.