Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund: 5 positives from huge UCL win
Kai Havertz (No. 29) Center forward, Germany
Havertz led the line very well. He contested a whopping 15 duels, though he only won six of them, but contesting 15 duels as a center forward shows how hardworking you’ve been. His ball-retention was very good, completing 87% of his passes. He completed 3/3 dribbles, created two chances, took five shots, and gathered an xG of 1.06, that’s 0.21 xG/shot, which is insane. His finishing was not great, but he’s never been a great finisher anyway. His role in the win cannot be overstated, and his goal, despite it being a penalty, calmed everyone’s nerves. It was also his goal that ultimately saw the Blues get past Dortmund.
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Kepa Arrizabalaga (No. 1) Goalkeeper, Spain
It would be unfair to conclude this piece without giving credit to Arrizabalaga. He was solid throughout the match and made some key saves. His distribution was OK, and he saved all four shots he faced. Arrizabalaga has performed well enough to stand with the best of them in Europe this season, and that’s credit to him, considering that he has been the second choice keeper for all of the last two seasons and part of the current one.