If Borussia Dortmund's remarkable 2023 run is to continue at Chelsea on Tuesday, midfield master Jude Bellingham, 19, will need to be front and centre.
Bellingham was part of the Dortmund squad that trained at Stamford Bridge on Monday ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash.
Dortmund arrive in West London as European football's most in-form team, having chalked up 10 wins from as many games to start 2023.
Nine points behind leaders Bayern Munich at Christmas, Dortmund have closed the gap and now sit second on goal difference.
A hard-fought 1-0 win in the opening tie against Chelsea last month means Dortmund will make it through to the Champions League quarter-finals if they avoid defeat on Tuesday evening.
While Marco Reus's likely inclusion means Bellingham, captain in Dortmund's first-leg victory, may not wear the armband at Stamford Bridge, the English teenager will unquestionably be one of the side's on-field leaders.
In what has been a breakout season for the English teenager bookending an impressive Qatar World Cup showing, Bellingham has saved his best performances for the biggest stage.
In six Champions League games this season – two as captain – Bellingham has scored four goals and laid on an assist.
Chelsea train ahead of Dortmund clash
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Chelsea attacker Raheem Sterling, centre, talks to Marc Cucurella during training at Cobham on March 6, 2023, on eve of Champions League last-16 second-leg against Borussia Dortmund. PA -
Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante during training. PA -
Chelsea manager Graham Potter at Cobham. PA -
Chelsea players at Cobham Training Centre ahead of their Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund. AFP -
Chelsea's Mykhailo Mudryk with teammates during training. Reuters -
Chelsea's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, second left, and Hakim Ziyech share a joke during training. PA -
Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell kicks a ball during training. AFP -
Left to right: Chelsea's Kai Havertz, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Joao Felix. AFP -
Chelsea attacker Raheem Sterling during training. AFP -
Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga during training. PA
While Bellingham's playing style has attracted no shortage of accolades, the teenager's leadership for club and country has been given particular praise.
Dortmund manager Edin Terzic, who brought Bellingham into a three-man leadership group alongside Reus and World Cup-winning defender Mats Hummels, has frequently described the Birmingham City junior as "the oldest 19-year-old player in the world."
His maturity and leadership has helped the club keep the focus on the pitch.
Unlike last season, when the Erling Haaland transfer saga pushed Dortmund to the brink of distraction, whispers surrounding a possible summer exit for Bellingham – and a potential €150 million fee – have not destablised the club.
While the Norwegian publicly complained that Dortmund were "putting pressure on me to make a decision about my future", Bellingham has frequently shut down speculation.
After October's 0-0 home draw with Haaland's Manchester City which saw Dortmund through to the Champions League knockout rounds, a smiling Bellingham told reporters who asked about a possible move: "I'm not going to write your headlines for you."
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
