"He was brilliant today" - Owen Hargreaves lauds Chelsea star's 'courage and composure' in 2-0 Dortmund win
Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has praised Chelsea attacker Kai Havertz for his performance against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, March 7.
Havertz scored the second goal in the second leg of the Blues' UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match-up against the Bundesliga outfit. The German netted from a retaken penalty in the 53rd minute after his initial spot-kick cannoned off the post, but was chalked off for an encroachment in the box.
He was integral to most of Chelsea's attacking moves at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, sealing it all with an excellent penalty. Havertz's strike helped his side overturn a one-goal deficit from the first leg and qualify for the quarterfinals with a 2-1 aggregate victory.
After the match, Hargreaves lauded the forward on BT Sport and said (as quoted by the Daily Mail):
"He showed real courage and composure. He was brilliant today. He delivers. He showed real composure in big moments."
The former Manchester United and Bayern Munich man believes the win over Dortmund could hold huge significance for the Blues' season as well.
"This is a huge moment for Chelsea, it could turn everything around for them," Hargreaves said.
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Havertz notably scored with a well-struck shot in the first half against Dortmund, but the goal was ruled out for offside in the build-up. In addition to getting on the scoresheet in the second half, he also recorded two key passes, three successful dribbles and six successful duels.
"Showed that he's a player for the big moments" - Chelsea boss Graham Potter on Kai Havertz after win over Dortmund
The victory over Borussia Dortmund marked a second win on the bounce for Chelsea, something they hadn't achieved since October 2022. The Blues beat Leeds United 1-0 in the Premier League last weekend.
Graham Potter was evidently pleased with the win on Tuesday and progressing into the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. He reserved special praise for Kai Havertz after the match, saying (as quoted by the club's official website):
"We were confident in Kai, he’s our penalty taker and he showed that he’s a player for the big moments by scoring in such a pressure situation."
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Havertz has now scored seven goals in 33 matches across competitions this season. The German is Chelsea's joint-top goalscorer of the campaign alongside Raheem Sterling.
Next up, the Blues will take on Leicester City away from home in the Premier League on Saturday, March 11.