Jude Bellingham calls penalty incident in Dortmund's loss to Chelsea in the UCL a 'joke'
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham deemed the penalty drama during his side's 1-0 defeat to Chelsea as a joke. BvB were sent crashing out of the UEFA Champions League following a 1-0 (2-1 aggregate) defeat to the Blues in the last 16.
Dutch referee Danny Makkelie had already riled Dortmund by awarding the hosts a contentious penalty in the 49th minute. BvB midfielder Marius Wolf had his back turned when Ben Chilwell's cross struck him on the arm from close range. VAR advised the official to look at the pitchside monitor and he pointed to the spot.
However, Kai Havertz's first attempt hit the post and Dortmund players managed to boot the ball to safety. But the controversy didn't end there as Makkelie ordered a retake due to BvB allegedly encroaching during the initial spot-kick.
Havertz stepped up again and comfortably dispatched his second penalty past Dortmund goalkeeper Alexander Meyer. This infuriated the visitors and Bellingham was fuming following the defeat at Stamford Bridge. He said (via Duncan Castles):
"The fact that they’ve had a retake I think is a joke. I think for every penalty - especially when you have such a slow run up - there’s going to be people encroaching into the box by a yard or so."
"I don't want to get in trouble... I've paid enough to them lot..." 👀
Jude Bellingham reluctantly gives his thoughts on the penalty decision that gifted Chelsea the win! 😳
🎙️ @TheDesKelly https://t.co/hEojQWPle0
Dortmund's defeat ended their nine-game winning streak in all competitions. The manner of the loss was a bitter pill to swallow for the die Schwarzgelben as the penalty drama proved to be the difference between the two sides.
Chelsea advanced to the quarterfinals of Europe's elite club competition while BvB will now concentrate on their Bundesliga title race. They sit second, trailing leaders Bayern Munich on goal difference by 25 goals.
Rio Ferdinand is not tipping Chelsea to win the UEFA Champions League
Premier League legend Ferdinand has taken all the pressure off of the Stamford Bridge outfit by claiming that they are not among the favorites to win the trophy. He told BT Sport following their win over Dortmund:
“I wouldn’t put them anywhere near being favorites, no disrespect, just because of the form and where other teams are in comparison."
He added:
“The difference this result can make for confidence right now is great, but you have to take it game by game. You can’t look any further than this weekend.”
Chelsea qualify for the #UCL quarter-finals with a deserved and dramatic 2-0 (2-1 aggregate) win over Dortmund. Sterling's strike and a Havertz penalty mean #CFC score two goals in a game for the first time in 2023. It's also back-to-back wins. Exactly what Graham Potter needed. https://t.co/1c3CA68Zg7
Chelsea enjoyed the role of underdogs in the two years they lifted the UEFA Champions League. They were heavily backed against winning the trophy in 2012. However, they secured one of the most memorable penalty shootout victories over Bayern Munich in the final at the Allianz Arena after a 1-1 regulation time draw.
The Blues were similarly heavily expected to be beaten by Manchester City in the 2021 Champions League final. Yet, Havertz's first-half goal managed to secure the European title for the west Londoners for a second time. Hence, Potter's side might just like the fact that many aren't expecting them to be the ones to triumph come June 10 in Istanbul.