A spot in the Champions League quarterfinals is at stake on Tuesday as Chelsea welcomes Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund to Stamford Bridge. The second leg of this Round of 16 affair starts at 3 PM ET. BVB came out victorious in the reverse fixture last month at Signal Iduna Park thanks to a world-class goal from youngster Karim Adeyemi. The visitors have yet to taste defeat in 2023 across all competitions. Keep reading for the Chelsea vs Dortmund prediction.
Before we get into the odds, match preview, and picks, check out the biggest Vegas online soccer betting sites if you plan to put money down on this massive clash.
The Blues, despite being down 1-0 on aggregate, are a heavy favorite here with -110 odds at both BetOnline and Bovada online sportsbook. The Germans come back at +310 and +290 at the respective sportsbooks. At BetOnline, the under 2.5 goals sit at -107 odds. Given Chelsea’s struggles in the final third, this could offer value.
It’s been a dismal campaign for the 2021 UCL winners and with another poor result Tuesday, it could get even worse. The Blues are currently 10th in the Premier League table and a whole 11 points off a Champions League spot. Despite splashing the cash during the January transfer window, Chelsea is still absolutely lifeless in front of goal, failing to net once in all of February. Boss Graham Potter is under serious fire and that criticism will continue if the Blues fail to prevail in the second leg this week against Dortmund. On a more positive note, Chelsea did finally win a game over the weekend thanks to a Wesley Fofana header against Leeds. With so much negativity surrounding this club right now, grabbing three points was definitely a step in the right direction. If they don’t come out victorious Tuesday, it’ll be the first time since 2019-20 the Blues fail to progress past the Round of 16. That year, Bayern embarrassed them 7-1 across two legs.
No Erling Haaland, no problem. Despite the departure of their talisman who left for Manchester City last summer, Dortmund is absolutely flourishing this term. They’re in the midst of a title race in the Bundesliga with Bayern, currently level on points in first, although Munich has a superior goal difference. BVB couldn’t be in better form right now either, winning 10 straight matches dating back to January 22nd. Last Friday was a critical three points against RB Leipzig by a score of 2-1, with club legend Marco Reus and Emre Can producing the goods in the first half. Sweden international Emil Forsberg cut the lead in half in the 74th minute for Leipzig, but it wasn’t enough. When it comes to the Champions League, the last 16 has been Dortmund’s kryptonite in recent years. They’ve only progressed to the quarterfinals once in the last six seasons. That being said, Edin Terzic’s men are playing tremendous football at the moment and although they’re considered the underdog in the sportsbooks, Dortmund has a very good chance of advancing here, especially with a one-goal advantage.
Chelsea is missing a plethora of players for this encounter. Armando Broja, Edouard Mendy, Christian Pulisic, Thiago Silva, and Cesar Azpilicueta are all injured. However, Reece James, N’Golo Kante, and Christian Pulisic could return.
For Dortmund, Adeyemi is sidelined with injury while his attacking partner Youssoufa Moukoko is also out. On top of that, Mateu Morey, Abdoulaye Kamara, Donyell Malen, and Julien Duranville are unavailable, too.
I have zero belief in Chelsea these days. Considering Dortmund’s confidence and epic unbeaten run, they’re worth a pick here.
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