CHELSEA remain an expensive work in progress under Graham Potter and it will be fascinating how they fare against Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
Potter had a bit of work to do in Europe when he took over from Thomas Tuchel, with the Blues having slumped to a shock defeat away to Dinamo Zagreb in their Group E opener.
He could only steer them to a 1-1 draw home draw against Salzburg not long after taking the reins but then racked up four successive victories to top the section ahead of AC Milan.
It looked like things were shaping up nicely for the former Brighton boss but domestic results then nosedived with just two victories in their next 12 games.
Instead of sacking Potter during the slump, the Stamford Bridge club splashed out on a plethora of players, bringing in the likes of Joao Felix, Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk at exorbitant cost.
Performances have improved but Chelsea still lack a cutting edge and after drawing their last three games they must now head to one of the most intimidating stadiums in Europe.
After flopping in last season's Champions League, Borussia Dortmund were much improved this time around in the group stage, losing just once on the road at Manchester City.
They finished second in Group G ahead of Sevilla and go into this game in excellent form, having won six in a row in the Bundesliga and German Cup.
How the bookies view it
It's a hard one to call with Chelsea's performances picking up but Dortmund are slight favourites with home advantage. They are 31/20 with BetUK for a first-leg win while the Blues are 2/1 at SBK and the draw pays 41/17 with VBet. If you fancy an early punt on who goes through, Borussia are 13/8 at Paddy Power and Chelsea just 4/6 with Bet365.
Head to head
Despite being regulars in the Champions League and other European tournaments, these sides have never faced off in a competitive game. But Chelsea have a decent record against German sides, winning 11 of their 25 meetings and losing just six times.
Players to watch
Jude Bellingham is probably the hottest property in European football right now as big clubs queue up for his signature. The English playmaker scored at the Etihad in the group stage and can add a few more million to his asking price if he shines against Chelsea. Bellingham is a tempting 6/1 at Unibet for a goal while the 31/20 at the same firm for him just to have a shot on target looks tremendous value.
Chelsea will be relieved that players aren't cup tied in the Champions League, given Fernandez, Felix and Mudryk all turned out for other clubs in the group stage. But Potter can only register three of his new boys and it's that trio stars who have been drafted in. Felix impressed at the weekend against West Ham as he got off the mark and the Portuguese livewire looks overpriced at 16/5 (William Hill) for another goal here.
Anything else catch the eye?
Our man Mark cashed in by backing West Ham in the double chance at the weekend as Chelsea flattered to deceive once more. With Borussia Dortmund in such good form, they look decent value at 13/10 (William Hill) to score over 1.5 goals in this one. That bet has landed in the last seven matches for Edin Terzic's side.
Dortmund will be a threat on turnovers as I'd expect Chelsea to have most of the possession. That makes the 59/50 on offer at Unibet for over 1.5 Borussia offsides another decent option.
This UEFA Champions League match between Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea will be played on Feb 15, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Borussia Dortmund vs Chelsea prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
