MY ACCOUNT
Chelsea must produce another Champions League fightback to avoid being knocked out by Borussia Dortmund and Benfica will be expected to advance to the quarter-finals on Tuesday.
Dortmund start the second leg at Stamford Bridge riding on the crest of a wave following 10 consecutive victories, sitting level on points with Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga after beating RB Leipzig 2-1.
Karim Adeyemi’s goal gave Edin Terzic’s side a 1-0 win over Chelsea and they have a great record in the competition after winning the first leg of knockout stage ties.
The Blues eased the pressure on head coach Graham Potter by beating Leeds United 1-0 on Saturday and have progressed more often than not after losing a first leg in Europe’s premier club competition.
Benfica hold a 2-0 lead over Club Brugge heading into the second leg at Estadio da Luz and Joao Mario will attempt to extend his impressive scoring run in the competition.
We pick out the standout Opta data to preview the two matches on Tuesday.
Chelsea v Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund may need the slender advantage they gained in the first leg, given they have lost five consecutive away games against English sides in the Champions League since beating Arsenal 2-1 in October 2013.
Chelsea lost the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie for the eighth time in Dortmund, but on the previous seven occasions that has happened they have gone on to progress four times.
That said, of the previous six ties in which Dortmund have won the first leg they have finished off the job to advance – Paris Saint-Germain being the only team to mount a second-leg fightback and knock them out at this stage in 2020.
The Bundesliga title contenders will be looking to win both legs of a Champions League knockout tie for the first time since the 1996-97 season, when they beat both Auxerre and Manchester United twice en route to lifting the trophy for the only time.
Benfica v Club Brugge
Brugge have it all to do when they face Benfica, who are unbeaten in their 10 previous home games against Belgian sides in the Champions League with eight wins and two draws.
Only one of the 45 teams to have won a first leg away from home in a Champions League knockout tie by at least two goals has failed to make it through, when PSG were dumped out by Manchester United in 2019.
Benfica have won three consecutive games in this competition, their best since reeling off six in a row back in the 1989-90 campaign.
Brugge have not scored in their past four Champions League games, which represents their longest drought in the competition.
They will have to keep a close eye on Joao Mario, who will attempt to become the first player to score in five consecutive games in either the European Cup or Champions League since the great Eusebio netted in seven on the spin between May 1963 and September 1964.
