Graham Potter said he is confident goal-shy Chelsea can find their cutting edge to beat Borussia Dortmund and reach the Champions League quarter-finals.
Raheem Sterling, Joao Felix and Kai Havertz were among the Blues forwards taking part in training at Cobham on Monday, as was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, though the Gabon striker has been left out of Potter's Champions League squad.
Chelsea ended a miserable run with a 1-0 win over Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday, giving them a boost ahead of Tuesday's last-16 second leg against Dortmund at Stamford Bridge.
But Chelsea – who have only scored twice in their past seven matches – will likely need two goals to progress against the Bundesliga title-chasers, who are 1-0 up after the first leg.
Potter, under intense pressure amid a difficult first season in charge, is optimistic his expensively assembled team can find the goals necessary.
"We've had some games where we could have scored more than one, for sure, and we need that performance tomorrow night. It's a simple as that," Potter told reporters.
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Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund controls the ball during the Bundesliga match against RB Leipzig at Signal Iduna Park on March 03, 2023 in Dortmund, Germany. Dortmund won the match 2-1. Getty Images -
Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund. Getty Images -
Dortmund's German forward Marco Reus reacts after a missed chance. AFP -
Jude Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund. Getty Images -
Marco Reus, centre, celebrates with Salih Ozcan, left, and Emre Can scoring a penalty to give Borussia Dortmund the lead. AFP -
Leipzig's Amadou Haidara, left, challenges for the ball with Dortmund's Emre Can. AP Photo -
Dortmund's Emre Can, top, and Leipzig's Emil Forsberg challenge for the ball. AP Photo -
Dortmund's German midfielder Emre Can celebrates scoring. AFP -
Borussia Dortmund's Emre Can celebrates scoring their second goal. Reuters -
Marco Reus and Niklas Suele of Borussia Dortmund celebrate victory. Getty Images
"We're playing against a top team, a team that's in a good place, the amount of wins they have. It's not going to be easy.
"But the boys are in a good place, they are confident, they are motivated. We want to take the challenge on and give it our best."
Dortmund arrive in West London second in the Bundesliga level on points with Bayern Munich and riding a 10-match win streak since the World Cup. Potter, whose side are a lowly 10th in the Premier League, said the mood in the Chelsea camp had remained positive despite their poor form.
"Not happy and joking and smiling when losing, of course not, but at the same time there's been a support for each other and a good spirit and a good atmosphere," he said.
"At the same time you have to take responsibility to know that we're not in a good place from a results perspective. But if we win a game the smiles come back."
Dortmund v Chelsea ratings, first leg
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BORUSSIA DORTMUND RATINGS: Gregor Kobel 8 – Pulled off some excellent saves, the standout being a sprawling stop to tip Reece James’ effort over the bar. AFP -
Marius Wolf 7 – Excellent in the final third, firing several rasping shots just wide, while also working tirelessly to win possession back quickly. Getty -
Niklas Sule 6 – Dependable for the most part, although the towering German’s lack of mobility was exposed at times against Chelsea’s pacy attack. PA -
Nico Schlotterbeck 7 – Crucial in the final moments of the game, stepping up as Chelsea rained crosses into the penalty area. AFP -
Raphael Guerreiro 6 – Got into some excellent attacking positions but was wasteful with his end product. Seemed to tire in the second half. AFP -
Emre Can 7 – Energetic and committed - evidenced best by his dramatic goal-line clearance from Koulibaly’s second-half strike. His enthusiasm boiled over at times, leading to the midfielder picking up a second-half yellow. EPA -
Julian Brandt 8 – The 26-year-old extended his sparkling run of form with another classy display tonight. As the German side’s creative hub, he threaded several perfect through balls to his teammates in advanced positions. Reuters -
Jude Bellingham 8 – Dortmund’s young superstar pulled the strings all evening, leading from the front both defensively and offensively. Everything good that the hosts did seemed to go through the Englishman. Getty -
Salih Ozcan 7 – The quieter of BVB’s midfielders, he kept things neat and tidy in possession, while helping to mop things up on the defensive side. His efforts to track the movements of Joao Felix were less effective. AFP -
Karim Adeyemi 8 – Scorer of the only goal, having streaked away from Enzo Fernandez before rounding Kepa. It was a deserved reward for Adeyemi, whose movement caused Chelsea problems from the first minute. AFP -
Sebastien Haller 6 – Showcased some flashes of his old brilliance. His link-up play was very effective in the first half. AFP -
SUBS: Anthony Modeste 6 – Didn’t see a great deal of the ball as Chelsea pushed for a leveller in the final 20 minutes. AFP -
Julian Ryerson 5 – Picked up a yellow card for time wasting, which ended up instigating a touchline fracas between the two sets of players. Getty -
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens N/A – Lively on the counter, although chances to stride forward were few and far between. Getty -
CHELSEA RATINGS: Kepa Arrizabalaga 5 – Was rounded very easily by Adeyemi for the goal. That aside, the Spaniard had very little to do. Getty -
DF: Reece James 7 – Chelsea’s best performer, forcing a couple of excellent saves from Kobel, while also turning provider from wide right. Led from the front defensively too. Getty -
Thiago Silva 7 – Used his hand to try and score in first half. However, the Brazilian made amends with some standout interceptions and headed clearances. AFP -
Kalidou Koulibaly 6 – Solid at the back, growing as the game wore on. Saw his firm strike inside the Dortmund box cleared off the line by Can on the hour mark. AFP -
Ben Chilwell 6 – Dangerous at set-pieces, although the England international looked less than convincing defensively. Was replaced by Marc Cucurella in the 70th minute. Getty -
Ruben Loftus-Cheek 6 – Influential in spells, especially on the defensive side. Having started brightly, he did fade in the second half. EPA -
Enzo Fernandez 7 – The World Cup winner oozed quality, keeping things ticking over nicely for Chelsea in the middle of the park. But was beaten by Adeyemi before the German slotted home the winner. EPA -
Hakim Ziyech 7 – Very dangerous from the wide right, showing manager Graham Potter just how much he has left to give in a Chelsea shirt. The Moroccan was unfortunate not to have grabbed an assist. AFP -
Joao Felix 7 – Should have ended up on the scoresheet, having squandered two golden opportunities. But the early signs are good for the Blues, as his movement caused so many problems for the BVB backline. AFP -
Mykhailo Mudryk 6 – Another underwhelming performance from the Ukrainian winger. Showed some flashes of what he’s capable of, but all too often he was wasteful in the final third. EPA -
Kai Havertz 6 – Linked play nicely in the opening stages, but lacked killer instinct inside the Dortmund box. AFP -
SUBS: Mason Mount 5 – A forgettable cameo from the 24-year-old, who picked up a late yellow card. PA -
Marc Cucurella 7 – Whipping some teasing crosses into the Dortmund box in a bid to force an equaliser. Getty
