BVB’s team Airbus has made its way from Dortmund Airport to London Stansted. Flight EW 1909 marked the start of Borussia Dortmund’s fourth trip to a Champions League away match this season. Hopefully, it won’t be the last.

“On Tuesday, we have the next exciting game ahead of us,” said Marco Reus after the final whistle of the league match against Leipzig (a 2-1 win). Around 60 hours have passed since then. Donyell Malen and Gregor Kobel, who picked up knocks against Leipzig, are with the team on board the Eurowings special flight. 

BVB will head to Stamford Bridge with a razor-thin 1-0 lead from the first leg. “It will be a brutal game. We will have to suffer,” said sporting director Sebastian Kehl. While Borussia Dortmund are the only club in Europe’s top leagues to win every match in 2023, Chelsea’s 1-0 victory against Leeds at the weekend was just their second win in twelve matches this year. The Blues can only save their season with success in the UEFA Champions League. 

“It’s not going to be an easy game. I’ve played there several times,” says Emre Can. Other than Freiburg, Southampton and the two Manchester clubs, the former Liverpool man has faced Chelsea more often in his career than any other side. He has lost only once at Stamford Bridge, a 1-0 defeat after extra time in the semi-finals of the League Cup in 2014/15. 

That result after 120 minutes would not mean the end of the road for Dortmund – the game would then be decided on penalties to see which side make it through to the quarter-finals. BVB are hoping it won’t come to that. Emre Can: “We won the first leg and have to go there full of confidence.”
Boris Rupert