"Man for the big occasion", "First good game in almost 2 years" - Chelsea fans hail 'brilliant' star's performance in 2-0 win over Dortmund in UCL
Chelsea fans were jubilant as their team overturned a first-leg loss against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League by winning 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. While they will be pleased about the efforts from much of the side, one player who exceeded the expectations of the fans is Kai Havertz.
The German forward put his name on the scoresheet with an accurately taken penalty at the beginning of the second half. Notably, his first penalty effort hit the post, but the Dortmund player who cleared the ball had encroached into the area during the spot kick. After a VAR check, Havertz took the penalty once more and sent the keeper the wrong way.
The Stamford Bridge faithful took to Twitter to hail Kai Havertz's efforts with tweets like these:
Kai Havertz!! Man for the big occasion
What a performance by Havertz today. Excellent hold up play and link up play. Absolutely brilliant.
Havertz first good game in almost two years
Kai Havertz has been brilliant & my man of the match. #CHEBVB https://t.co/3fx5QaQJkX
Kai Havertz’ aura needs to be studied in big games
THIS IS WHY YOU PLAY HAVERTZ
Havertz Motm. Good sleep good night
Happy holi😁😁
Havertz has played some amazing football today!
The Havertz i just watched tonight was incredible.
This has been the best I've eve4 seen Havertz play at Chelsea ngl
Chelsea secure win over Borussia Dortmund
Following a Premier League victory over Leeds on Saturday, Chelsea came into Tuesday night's Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund with hope. They needed to turn around a first-leg deficit and keep their European dream alive.
Despite having only scored twice in their previous seven games, the hosts finally found their goal-scoring edge and prevailed with a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge.
Raheem Sterling broke the deadlock with a powerful volley from close range just before halftime (43'). Then, Kai Havertz sealed the deal from the penalty spot early in the second half (53').
Although Chelsea let several chances go begging in the first half, including a disallowed goal for offside, they managed to hold on for a crucial victory.
Dortmund were left to rue the early injury to Julien Brandt, who had been instrumental in their recent run of form. The German team struggled to create clear-cut chances throughout the match.
Giovanni Reyna came on as a substitute but was unable to make an impact as the visitors badly struggled to find the back of the net.
The win was a huge relief for head coach Graham Potter, who has been under pressure in recent weeks. However, the job is far from done for the Blues, as they now turn their attention to a tough Premier League fixture against Leicester City on Saturday.
Dortmund, meanwhile, will hope to bounce back when they face Schalke in the Bundesliga.
The draw for the Champions League quarter-finals will take place on March 17, with the first and second legs scheduled for April 11-12 and April 18-19. Chelsea will be hoping to continue their European adventure and make a real statement on the continent.