On paper this is a 50-50 matchup, they got Bellingham we got Enzo. It's going to be an amazing match.

Their recent form doesn't worry me, the standard in the German league is truly laughable. Think we should have enough quality here to do them. 

Can’t see a victory here , a draw would be a decent result but most likely seeing a narrow loss. 

                  Kepa

          Azpi - Silva - KK 

James                        Chilwell

       Fernandez - Kovacic

Felix        Havertz      Sterling

 

I'm quietly hoping for a complete change of form, dynamics, style, however you want to call it, for the CL matches as opposed to the EPL matches. 

0-0 away match, 1-0 win home match, and on to the next round.

 

Please don't call me naive (or worse), I'm very vulnerable right now. 

Edited February 13, 20233 yr by Valerie

Going on pure blind faith as per usual.

Both sides go for it, open and exciting match, Chelsea win 2-0, KTBFFH

Lose this tie and we could be out of Europe for the next 19 months as it looks even more likely that we wont make the top 5 and are already out of the cups. That could be good in the long run allowing us to concentrate on the league, but it could be the start of the new normal.

1 hour ago, asvaberg said:

                  Kepa

          Azpi - Silva - KK 

James                        Chilwell

       Fernandez - Kovacic

Felix        Havertz      Sterling

 

I think this is a decent shout for what Potter will do for this one. 

Lots of experience in the line up, and a focus on defence, but with enough quality in attack to do some damage if Dortmund are sloppy at the back.

We'll all probably be happy with a draw, but hopefully the team is well up for it and can get a win.

16 minutes ago, coco said:

Lose this tie and we could be out of Europe for the next 19 months as it looks even more likely that we wont make the top 5 and are already out of the cups. That could be good in the long run allowing us to concentrate on the league, but it could be the start of the new normal.

It would be catastrophic if we don't finish top 6. I don't think it would be terrible if we lose to BvB, in a tie of two more or less equal teams on paper anything can happen but if we don't win the next league matches that would look very bad.

5 minutes ago, Gol15 said:

It would be catastrophic if we don't finish top 6. I don't think it would be terrible if we lose to BvB, in a tie of two more or less equal teams on paper anything can happen but if we don't win the next league matches that would look very bad.

Which is more likely ? Finish top 6 or win CL? We only have to fluke 4 results out of 7 in the CL. Lose 1-0 away to BvB and win the home leg 2-1, repeat in the QF and SF, then fluke the final 1-0. Yes it's very unlikely, but we did have good form in the CL, unlike our pathetic league form, you never know.

Team looks confused as all hell when ever we try to play 5 at the back under Potter. Let's stick to what we know. 

Think we can exploit Dortumund's left side as Guerreiro loves to push forward and isn't that great defensively. Put Mount and James on the right. 

Not sure if it is too early for Kovacic as we need to win the midfield. 

 

6 hours ago, RIP Mourinho said:

Their recent form doesn't worry me, the standard in the German league is truly laughable. Think we should have enough quality here to do them. 

Well said.. No idea why some people want him to play a back 3. He will get hammered by the press if he changes the formation, plays players out of position and we lose. Dortmund are a bang average team, bar Bellingham the other names that stand out are an ageing Reus, inconsistent Brandt, Haller previously of West Ham, and the youngster Moukoko. Fully expect us to go through just like with the AC Milan match.

2 hours ago, coco said:

Which is more likely ? Finish top 6 or win CL? We only have to fluke 4 results out of 7 in the CL. Lose 1-0 away to BvB and win the home leg 2-1, repeat in the QF and SF, then fluke the final 1-0. Yes it's very unlikely, but we did have good form in the CL, unlike our pathetic league form, you never know.

You think the odds are better to fluke a CL winning run instead of just finishing a 3 places above the one we are right now in the league? That's an interesting take, IMO we did manage to play better in Europe against top teams in the past while we struggled against lower league teams so I guess you're on to something here...

our problem is that we have to play with koulibaly and this is a huge problem for us 

10 minutes ago, Gol15 said:

You think the odds are better to fluke a CL winning run instead of just finishing a 3 places above the one we are right now in the league? That's an interesting take, IMO we did manage to play better in Europe against top teams in the past while we struggled against lower league teams so I guess you're on to something here...

The Premier League is a tough cookie, just look at City and Liverpool this season, not to mention us, and Spuds. 

will be interesting see this game and  we will see if we really have a possibility to win this or not 

I'm a Chelsea fan for far too long and I got to understand this club - whenever we are out of the title race, no matter it is after the 12th round or the 33rd round, our team seems to always down tools when they are 4th, 6th or 10th in the table. 

But in the CL, arguably the biggest competition in club football, nothing is over yet and if we beat Dortmund and then get a good draw, which the chances are very, very high this season, we'd be in the Semis with ease and from there is game on, anything is possible.

If Potter can't motivate this team and get a reaction in this competition now that almost everybody is slowly getting healthy again and we play the same dull, boring stuff as in the last matches, then he should man the f**k up and leave. Our form in the last 18-20 matches is horrendous already, getting knocked out by f**king Dortmund with that clown defensive structure would be embarassing and a complete capitulation.

We’ll probably go out and win this convincingly with our best performance of the season getting all our hopes up things have finally changed then go a lose heavily to that show of sh*te at the weekend. 
 

Or just lose both. Probably this one. 

4 minutes ago, Munkworth said:

We’ll probably go out and win this convincingly with our best performance of the season getting all our hopes up things have finally changed then go a lose heavily to that show of sh*te at the weekend. 
 

Or just lose both. Probably this one. 

Speaking of which, I never really put any noticed on Southampton before. Has there been an occasion where they did the double over us and your saints mates got to rub your whiskers in it?

1 hour ago, axman2526 said:

Speaking of which, I never really put any noticed on Southampton before. Has there been an occasion where they did the double over us and your saints mates got to rub your whiskers in it?

Saints mates? Explain this concept. 

1 hour ago, Munkworth said:

Saints mates? Explain this concept. 

You know, all those friends of yours that are Southampton fans. We know you have thousands of friends.

1 hour ago, axman2526 said:

You know, all those friends of yours that are Southampton fans. We know you have thousands of friends.

I have one friend. He’s a Chelsea fan. He also hates scummers. You can see why he’s my friend. 

4 minutes ago, Munkworth said:

I have one friend. He’s a Chelsea fan. He also hates scummers. You can see why he’s my friend. 

You have at least 3 more friends in @Valerie and @ModMaybe @CaitlinCFCand certainly @Zeta!

As much as I wanna win, it's time for regime change, so...

5 hours ago, TheRealDavidK said:

As much as I wanna win, it's time for regime change, so...

..so... What exactly?