Karim Adeyemi scored the only goal of the game as Borussia Dortmund secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday evening.
Adeyemi’s goal occurred during a sustained period of visitor dominance early in the second half, with the Germany forward pouncing on a Chelsea corner kick clearance.
Adeyemi spotted the opening, ran the length of the field, and rounded both Enzo Fernandez and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to give Dortmund the decisive lead that led to their victory.
While Chelsea manager Graham Potter may still be figuring out how to get his expensive newcomers to play as a unit, the visitors’ individual quality and speed on the counter were evident throughout the match.
Mykhailo Mudryk’s speed frequently troubled the home side in the first 15 minutes, prompting Dortmund central defender Niklas Suele to make a backheeled clearance.
Mudryk won a free kick to the left of the penalty area for Chelsea, who quickly retook the offensive.
Thiago Silva scored from the resulting free kick for Chelsea, but the home team surrounded referee Jesus Gil Manzano in protest.
Silva was immediately issued a citation after a review by the VAR revealed that the Chelsea captain intentionally handled the cross.
Julian Brandt and Jude Bellingham of Dortmund continued to orchestrate attacks as the home team dominated possession, leaving them vulnerable to Chelsea’s counterattacks.
The best opportunity of the first half fell to Chelsea’s Joao Felix, who beat Dortmund’s Marius Wolf inside the penalty area to create shooting space, but his shot hit the crossbar.
Wolf nearly gave Dortmund the lead just before halftime when Brandt shrugged off a defender to create space for him just inside the penalty area, but his curling shot went wide.
Chelsea dominated the early stages of the second half, drawing a yellow card from Dortmund midfielder Emre Can for bringing down Reece James.
Gregor Kobel, the goalkeeper, saved the free kick to alleviate the pressure.
After 60 minutes, James again faced Kobel one-on-one, this time in open play, but the Swiss goalkeeper tipped his shot over the crossbar.
Despite an offside flag, the referee gave Adeyemi the advantage as the ball was cleared into his path following a Chelsea corner kick.
The Germany forward, who was clocked as the fastest player in Bundesliga history in February, kicked the ball past Fernandez and then Kepa, threading it into the goal from a sharp angle.
Kalidou Koulibaly’s shot dribbled toward the goal in the 78th minute, but Can cleared the danger by kicking the ball out of harm’s way before it crossed the goal line.
