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.

Stats Perform 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.

Graham Potter knows Chelsea's Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund can be "a special night" after they finally returned to winning ways.

The Blues will welcome the Bundesliga side to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday for the second leg of their last-16 tie as they look to overturn a one-goal deficit.

Chelsea head into the match on the back of a first win in seven games after a 1-0 victory over Leeds United on Saturday, handing them a much-needed boost to their flagging season.

Potter, who has been in need of positive results to ease the pressure on his position, is looking forward to the chance to back it up with success in Europe.

"I agree it's a big game, an exciting game," he said. "[It is] a chance to go through to the last eight of the Champions League. It'll be a special night.

"Our thoughts are on being positive and trying to win the game. It's a good challenge for us, a big challenge for us. We're excited for it and looking forward to it."

Having lost the first leg in Dortmund 1-0 thanks to a Karim Adeyemi goal, Chelsea are prepared for another close-quarters scrap in London this week.

Potter further revealed Kai Havertz would be the team's designated penalty taker in the absence of Jorginho, but otherwise delivered mixed team news.

"Reece [James], we'll make a decision on tomorrow," he added. "Christian Pulisic is in the squad, but it is too soon for N'Golo [Kante] but he's looking good [to return soon].

"It's a complex one because he has had a long time out. It'll be a case of how we get him back up to speed to play Premier League or Champions League football."

One player Potter was questioned on was Atletico Madrid loanee Joao Felix, who has made a slow start to his Chelsea career.

But the Portuguese's star power and potential remains enough for his boss, who added: "His quality is clear. He makes things happen from an attacking perspective.

"[He] has hit the bar twice and had other chances. The fact he can play in many positions is good. We've used him more centrally, but he can play anywhere in the attacking phase of the game."

Ruben Loftus-Cheek says Chelsea owe Graham Potter a victory in their crunch Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund.

Chelsea snapped a three-game losing streak with a 1-0 win over Leeds United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The Blues had won only one game in their previous 11 before that match, in which Loftus-Cheek filled in at right-wing-back in the absence of Reece James.

Now, Potter's team trail Dortmund 1-0 heading into the second leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday, but with home advantage on their side, Chelsea want to repay their head coach's hard work.

"We definitely owe it to the manager. He is obviously a fantastic manager, nobody can argue against that after what he has done with Brighton and other things," Loftus-Cheek told reporters.

"It is up to us as well. We have massive respect for the manager, the way he has been sitting in front of the media with us in this poor form, and he has stuck up for us players.

"So we owe it to the manager to perform as best we can on the pitch and turn things around."

Chelsea are 10th in the Premier League, 11 points back from Tottenham in fourth place.

"A team like Chelsea, we can't accept mediocrity. We understand we have been mediocre in this recent run, and we are not just accepting it," Loftus-Cheek continued.

"It might look like that from the outside, but it's not the case. We are hurting from the losses and the draws, because it is not in us as Chelsea players, and we are fighting our hardest to turn it around.

"It is not nice to hear all the criticism coming our way at Chelsea, to the manager, to the players. We had the poor run, so of course you are going to get that.

"We have obviously had a poor run of form, and we needed to turn it around. We may look back at this [Leeds] win as a turning point in weeks to come. You never know.

"We have got this win, and then if we win against Dortmund and then keep winning... we have the quality and the players and the manager to do that.

"We don't expect to stay in that poor run of form, but we have to stick together and come through it."

Edin Terzic praised his team's defensive fortitude after Borussia Dortmund equalled a club record by securing an eighth consecutive Bundesliga victory with a 2-1 win over title rivals RB Leipzig, and a 10th overall.

Dortmund headed into Friday's game second to Bayern Munich only on goal difference after an imperious run of form since the return of domestic football following the Qatar World Cup.

Meanwhile, Leipzig, led by former Dortmund boss Marco Rose, were four points off top spot themselves and looking to move within striking distance of the top two.

After Julian Brandt had seen a goal ruled out for offside for the hosts, captain Marco Reus scored from the spot after being felled by Leipzig goalkeeper Janis Blaswich to put Dortmund ahead and move into second on the club's all-time goalscoring list.

Emre Can then saw a shot from the edge of the box somehow find its way in to give his team a commanding 2-0 lead at the break.

Leipzig improved after the break though and halved the deficit when Emil Forsberg slid in to turn David Raum's cross into the net, setting up a grandstand finish.

Rose's men piled on the pressure, and an incredible goal-saving block was needed from Nico Schlotterbeck to deny Timo Werner's powerful goal-bound effort in the dying seconds as Dortmund saw the game out for three points to move top, with Bayern not playing until Saturday when they face Stuttgart.

Terzic was delighted after watching his team's last-ditch defending pay off, telling DAZN: "That was an absolutely top game, we're very happy.

"We played very well in the first half, in the second half we defended passionately. We saved it over the line, it wasn't easy to score a goal against us today."

Reus was relieved to pick up a 10th straight win in all competitions despite Dortmund's low-key second-half display, saying: "In the second half we didn't manage to keep the ball, to get more solutions, that wasn't so good anymore. 

"But we're very happy to have won the 10th competitive game in a row. In the end, I'd rather win than play well and lose. It's all about hard work, we've shown that in the past few weeks and today."

Rose was frustrated by the loss after a much-improved performance in the second half, explaining: "The result is difficult to accept, the second half clearly went to us. 

"Dortmund were very efficient. It was a decent game from us at the back, I didn't feel like we were clearly inferior. Over 90 minutes, it's hard to accept losing a game like that."

Rafael Leao's name has long been in the rumour file given his contract status with Milan.

The forward is contracted with the Serie A side until July 2024 but has stalled on an extension, with no agreement on a salary increase.

There was speculation in January that a renewal was close but nothing materialised.

TOP STORY – MILAN'S LEAO BOOST

Rafael Leao would prefer to stay with Milan rather than move elsewhere, amid interest from a host of top clubs, claims Fabrizio Romano.

Manchester City, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Barcelona have all been linked with the 23-year-old Portugal international.

But it is claimed Milan could renew Leao's deal before the next transfer window, effectively warding off their interest.

ROUND-UP

– Erik ten Hag wants to add at least two major signings at Manchester United in the off-season, with Ajax's Mohammed Kudus and Napoli's Victor Osimhen on their list, claims the Manchester Evening News.

– Manchester City are weighing up a move for Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic, according to The Telegraph. The Croatian's contract expires in mid-2024. Football Insider reports City are also interested in Chelsea's full-back Ben Chilwell.

– Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig both have an interest in signing Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita, who is out of contract at the end of this season, claims Bild.

– Atletico Madrid have reached an agreement for Leicester City defender Caglar Soyuncu to join as a free agent in the off-season, reports 90min.

– El Nacional claims Dusan Vlahovic has also spoken to Real Madrid about a potential move to Spain from Juventus.

– Juventus are also keen on signing out-of-favour Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, according to Fichajes.

Chelsea have continued to struggle in recent weeks despite their busy transfer activity during the January window.

The Blues have failed to score in their past three games, all defeats, and won only once in their past 11 games in all competitions.

Chelsea have only scored four goals in those 11 games this calendar year, with the situation putting pressure on new manager Graham Potter.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA TO TURN TO TAMMY

Chelsea could turn to former striker Tammy Abraham from Roma in the off-season, according to Football Insider.

There is a £70.5million (€80m) clause in Abraham's Roma contract that would allow the Blues to bring him back to Stamford Bridge which they intend to trigger, according to the report.

Chelsea have struggled for goals lately and view Abraham as a cheaper alternative to Napoli's Victor Osimhen.

ROUND-UP

– L'Equipe reports Kylian Mbappe will still leave Paris Saint-Germain in the near future even if he extends his contract. Mbappe's deal expires next year, but there is talk that PSG are looking to seal an extension for financial purposes.

– Arsenal have submitted a £35m (€40m) bid to sign Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio, claims Calciomercato. Fichajes says the Gunners are also interested in West Ham's Lucas Paqueta as another midfield option.

– Real Madrid will rival Barcelona and Chelsea in the pursuit to sign Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, reports Corriere dello Sport.

– Barcelona are interested in signing Julian Alvarez from Manchester City on loan, claims Mundo Deportivo, while the English champions have offered him a one-year contract extension until 2028 on improved terms, according to Fabrizio Romano.

– Liverpool's plans to overhaul their midfield next season mean they have Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat and Brighton and Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo in their sights, per Fichajes.

– Football Insider reports Liverpool are also monitoring N'Golo Kante's situation at Chelsea with talks ongoing over a contract extension.

Speculation about Mohamed Salah's future at Liverpool has re-ignited amid the Reds underwhelming campaign.

Liverpool appear destined for a last-16 Champions League exit after losing the first leg 5-2 at home to Real Madrid, while they are down in seventh in the Premier League.

The Reds are nine points outside the top-four league spots to earn Champions League qualification for next term.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL WILLING TO OFFLOAD SALAH

Mohamed Salah is willing to leave Liverpool if they fail to qualify for next season's Champions League while the Reds are open to selling him, claims Fichajes.

Football Insider claims Paris Saint-Germain are keen on the Egyptian, who is contracted with Liverpool until mid-2025, and will bid €80 million (£70.6m) for his services.

Liverpool may be open to offers for Salah given their wealth of forward options as Jurgen Klopp looks to revamp his squad, with their intended pursuit of Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, who is expected to cost more than €110m (£97m).

ROUND-UP

– Inter forward Lautaro Martinez is garnering interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, reports TEAMtalk. The 25-year-old Argentinian is contracted until mid-2026.

– Like Arsenal, Manchester United are weighing up a move for Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga, claims AS. The 20-year-old is believed to be priced around £26m (€30m).

– Fabrizio Romano reports Liverpool's Naby Keita may join Barcelona as a free agent at the end of this season, although he clarified "nothing is serious yet".

– Napoli will rival Liverpool in the race to sign Empoli's 19-year-old attacking midfielder Tommaso Baldanzi, claims Calciomercato.

– RMC Sport reports Paris Saint-Germain will not axe head coach Christophe Galtier before the end of the season, following reports of a move for Thomas Tuchel to replace him.

– Liverpool are considering a swap deal for Milan's Rafael Leao involving Luis Diaz, while PSG are in the race for the Portuguese's signature, according to Calciomercato.

Liverpool reportedly view Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch and Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham as their ideal central midfield pairing of the future.

Liverpool's interest in 19-year-old Bellingham has been well-documented, and they are believed to be one of the front-runners to secure his services, along with Real Madrid.

Gravenberch, 20, arrived at Bayern prior to the season from Ajax for an €18.5million fee, but he has made only one start this Bundesliga campaign, along with 12 appearances as a substitute.

Liverpool are due for a midfield overhaul this off-season with 33-year-old Jordan Henderson and 32-year-old Thiago reaching their primes, and the club appear to be preparing for an injection of youth.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL ENVISION GRAVENBERCH AS KEY COG OF FUTURE MIDFIELD

According to Sport 1, Liverpool are "closely following" Gravenberch's situation in Munich, and have begun gathering background information about the young Netherlands international.

The report claims that Bayern are not looking to ship him off after just one season, but Gravenberch himself may indicate he wants out if his playing time situation does not start trending in the right direction.

With his contract tying him to the Bundesliga side until 2027, Gravenberch has no leverage to force his way to the Premier League, but that will not stop Liverpool from dreaming about potentially moving forward with Gravenberch, Bellingham and breakout talent Stefan Bajcetic all aged under 21.

ROUND-UP

– Planeta Real Madrid is reporting Paris Saint-Germain will look to secure Vinicius Junior if Kylian Mbappe leaves for the Spanish capital.

– According to The Mirror, Sergio Aguero claims Lionel Messi is strongly considering a move back to childhood club Newell's Old Boys.

– Atletico Madrid loanee Joao Felix would like to make his move to Chelsea permanent, per Fichajes.

– Marca is reporting Cristiano Ronaldo's team Al Nassr have been sounding out Sergio Ramos' interest in a move to Saudi Arabia.

– According to Fabrizio Romano, after rejecting an advance from Newcastle United, Flamengo have handed 18-year-old midfielder Matheus Franca a new contract that includes a €200m release clause.

The rapid rise of Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae has not gone unnoticed, with Manchester United reportedly investigating a potential transfer for the end of the season.

Kim, 26, played in Korea and China until he was 24 years old, eventually catching the eye of Fenerbahce, who purchased him for a €3million fee.

After one season in Turkey, Napoli scooped him up for €18m, and he has played a big part in their best season in the 21st century. He has played in 22 of runaway leaders Napoli's 23 Serie A matches this campaign, starting all of them.

The powerfully-built defender has emerged as one of the league's top talents, and unfortunately for Napoli, he has a surprisingly affordable release clause in his contract.

TOP STORY – MANCHESTER UNITED DISCUSS ACTIVATING KIM'S RELEASE CLAUSE

According to Calciomercato, United have been targeting Kim for months, and have been in contact with his agents to gauge his interest in a potential Premier League move.

Kim reportedly has a £44m (€50m) release clause in his contract, but Napoli officials are desperate to award him a new contract to at least raise that figure to their valuation of £61m (€70m).

United are expected to make him a primary target at the end of the season.

ROUND-UP

– Football London is reporting Arsenal have made 24-year-old West Ham midfielder Declan Rice their top target after acknowledging they will not be in the running for Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham.

– According to the Evening Standard, Arsenal will have to battle Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United to secure 18-year-old Real Valladolid full-back Ivan Fresneda in the next transfer window, with his £26.5m (€30m) release clause drawing plenty of interest.

– Chelsea will allow midfielder Mason Mount to leave before the beginning of next season if he does not agree to a new contract, per The Athletic.

– Sport Witness is reporting Everton had a £22m (€25m) offer for 25-year-old Udinese forward Beto rejected late in the January window, and it is believed they could return with an improved bid. 

– According to Football Insider, Tottenham are viewed as the favourites to land 26-year-old Leicester City midfielder James Maddison, who will be allowed to leave the club if he does not sign an extension.

Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic insists his team can manage the absence of Karim Adeyemi and is pleased fans can once again enjoy seeing BVB in a Bundesliga title race.

Dortmund will be without rapid forward Adeyemi for the next few weeks after he suffered torn muscle fibres in Sunday's 4-1 win over Hertha Berlin.

But Terzic is confident Donyell Malen – who scored in that game from the assist that led to Adeyemi's injury – can help to fill the void.

Terzic seemed relaxed at a press conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Hoffenheim, despite being without Adeyemi, who had scored in four successive appearances prior to his injury.

"Of course, it's not nice to do without someone who has not only played really well, but also had many important actions," he said. "He often scored the opening goal or was able to assist goals. Nevertheless, you mustn't forget now, he was suspended for two games in the cup and the league and we were able to play those two games successfully.

"Others took over his role. And last week, for example, Donyell Malen moved well into the team. He was in another position, but he showed a rise in form. And Jamie Bynoe-Gittens played in that position and had another great assist and a huge chance before that.

"So, we have enough ideas and options to react to this loss. Nevertheless, we're keeping our fingers crossed for Karim that it won't take too long and that we can quickly build on his strong performances again."

Dortmund have won all eight of their games since the World Cup break, including six in the league, seeing them move level on 43 points with Bayern Munich and Union Berlin in the top three positions.

However, Terzic pointed to the criticism his team received prior to the World Cup as reason to stay grounded.

"Of course, it's nice that the fans can enjoy this phase now," he told reporters. "After everything that has happened in the last few years, whether it was Covid or [how] many home games in the past that were not successful.

"It's about wanting to create that experience again, that people are up for seeing us play and can't wait to come back. And that is something we are happy about.

"Of course, we are now in a position where these questions will come. But we won't forget the position we were in. After the game [against Borussia Monchengladbach, a 4-2 loss] before the break, there were completely different questions, there were polls. 'Are Dortmund in a position to qualify for the Champions League?'

"And now it's just happening way too fast, and we've already said it: we're currently in a period of upheaval that we initiated in the summer, where we said we're far from finished. A lot will happen in the near future, and we simply must not forget that.

"Of course, we are happy about the way things are going now, but we won't win the game on Saturday just by being happy, but through hard work, a lot of focus, a lot of diligence. And that's what we can influence, and all the other things we simply can't influence. We can only focus on the result and the game on Saturday. And that's what we will do."

Josko Gvardiol is hot property around Europe and he boosted his stocks with the equaliser in RB Leipzig's 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old centre-back is contracted with Leipzig until 2027, although he reportedly has an exit clause in his deal, worth €110 million.

Leipzig head coach Marco Rose was adamant after Wednesday's game that Gvardiol will remain with the club next season.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL KEEN ON LEIPZIG STAR GVARDIOL

Liverpool will look to bolster their defensive options with a move for Gvardiol, claims Fabrizio Romano.

The Croatia international has been targetted by Chelsea and he only enhanced his reputation during the 2022 World Cup. He has also been linked with City and Real Madrid.

Gvardiol has previously indicated he would be love to join the Reds, potentially offering Jurgen Klopp's side an edge in the race to sign him. 

ROUND-UP

– Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are all keeping tabs on Kylian Mbappe's situation at Paris Saint-Germain, claims Football Insider. Speculation continues to swirl that Mbappe, who is contracted through the end of the 2024-25 season, is unhappy at PSG.

– Chelsea are interested in a move for Dinamo Moscow 19-year-old midfielder Arsen Zakharyan, according to CaughtOffside.

– Fichajes say Juventus are considering a move to sign Real Betis forward Borja Iglesias amid worries Dusan Vlahovic could depart at the end of the season.

– Napoli will challenge PSG in the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani, reports CalcioMercato.

– Manchester United are plotting a double swoop for Leicester City midfield duo James Maddison and Youri Tielemans, according to Football Transfers.

– Raphael Guerreiro is set to exit Borussia Dortmund at the end of this season as a free agent, reports Nicolo Schira.

Liverpool welcome Real Madrid to Anfield on Tuesday in the Champions League round of 16, and the latest meeting of Jurgen Klopp and Carlo Ancelotti.

Their respective histories could have been so different.

After Everton and Liverpool had played out a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park in October 2015, in the Sky Sports studio, Thierry Henry reached across and placed his hand on a bewildered Jamie Carragher's knee as the news was announced that Brendan Rodgers had been dismissed as Reds manager.

Within minutes, the favourites for the role were being discussed, with frontrunner Klopp ultimately being the man to come in and take the club back to the summit of English and European football.

The second favourite had been Ancelotti, out of work at the time following his exit from his first spell at Madrid, and Carragher argued that while the Italian had the more impressive CV, Klopp was the more suitable choice for the Anfield hotseat after his success at Borussia Dortmund.

"I think with either of those coming to Liverpool, the supporters would be ecstatic," he said at the time. "If it was me, I would go for Klopp ahead of Ancelotti. I think he's got more to prove. Ancelotti is a great manager of course, but he's gone to clubs where you would expect to win trophies.

"It's a difficult job now at Liverpool getting them back into the top four. Forget talking about the title. And I think it needs someone with that energy and drive to get Liverpool back to where it wants to be and I think Jurgen Klopp's that man."

Of course, Carragher proved to be right about Klopp.

It will never be known what would have happened had Ancelotti been hired instead, but he has gone on to enjoy success at other clubs since, with spells at Bayern Munich, Napoli and Everton before heading back to the Santiago Bernabeu in December 2021.

The two have faced off numerous times in opposing dugouts, with the upcoming two-legged Champions League tie set to be their 12th and 13th meetings.

It is interesting how frequently Klopp and Ancelotti have come up against one another, especially considering the Italian's 18-month spell at Everton was the only time they have managed in the same league.

They clashed on four occasions in Merseyside derbies – coincidentally after that had been the fixture that led to their names being linked with the Liverpool job back in 2015 – with two draws at Goodison Park in the Premier League and a 1-0 Liverpool win in an FA Cup third round game at Anfield.

The most notable encounter also came at Anfield in February 2021, with no fans in due to COVID-19 restrictions, where Ancelotti masterminded Everton's first win at the home of their neighbours since the turn of the century.

Their other seven meetings have come in the Champions League, Klopp coming up against Ancelotti for the first time during his penultimate season at Borussia Dortmund as they took on Madrid in the last eight, losing 3-0 in the Spanish capital before a spirited but unsuccessful 2-0 reverse back in Dortmund.

Two goals from Marco Reus in the first half had given the German side hope of a comeback, but Ancelotti's men put up the defences and managed to see the game out, a tactic that the Los Blancos head coach has used to good effect against Klopp on numerous occasions since.

He also frustrated Klopp in their first meeting as Liverpool and Napoli bosses respectively, with the Serie A side winning 1-0 at home in the 2018-19 group stage, restricting the Reds to just four shots – none on which were on target – as Lorenzo Insigne struck a late winner.

A Mohamed Salah goal in the reverse fixture was enough to send Liverpool through to the knockout stage with a 1-0 win at Anfield at Napoli's expense, with the Reds going on to lift the trophy in Madrid that season.

The two teams were drawn together again in the group stage the following year, with Napoli again defeating Liverpool in Naples, 2-0 this time, while they played out a 1-1 draw back on Merseyside.

Klopp and Ancelotti would not meet again in the Champions League until after their brief Merseyside derby rivalry, somewhat appropriately in the final as Liverpool faced Madrid in Paris last season.

While the game was heavily distracted by the chaos outside prior to kick-off that an independent investigation has since claimed was the fault of UEFA and the French authorities, on the pitch it had a feel of Klopp's previous struggles with Ancelotti.

Liverpool dominated large parts of the contest, but Madrid were largely able to contain them, though goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois still had to put in an outstanding performance to keep a clean sheet.

Ancelotti suggested after the 1-0 win thanks to a Vinicius Junior goal that Klopp's team were "more decipherable" than others he had faced, but ahead of their next clash, the German coach lavished praise on his opposite number.

"Carlo is the most relaxed manager I ever met in my life," Klopp said at his pre-match press conference. "One of the best people you can meet, fantastic person, a humble person, super smart and nice, and obviously his man management is at a completely different level to all of us, and I respect that a lot and admire it a lot."

Ancelotti reciprocated at his press conference, saying: "I have a good relationship with Klopp. We stayed for a year and a half in Liverpool during the pandemic, and we used to text each other and exchange gifts. He's a really lovely person."

There is clear mutual respect there, strengthened by the duo's personal achievements as well as how difficult they both find games against one another.

Klopp's teams have only managed to find the net seven times against Ancelotti's in 11 games, despite having 153 shots, suggesting the former Milan, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss knows how to restrict them to low-quality chances.

Ancelotti has relied on his team's defensive solidity more often than not, and boasts the superior record with five wins to three defeats and three draws, but he has never been able to beat a Klopp team in an away game when fans have been in attendance, with a noisy Anfield on Tuesday a near certainty.

He surely takes slightly more pleasure in besting Liverpool than he does most other foes following one of his most painful defeats as a coach when his Milan side was beaten on penalties in the iconic 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul, despite leading 3-0 at half-time.

This season's final will also be in the Turkish capital, but at least one of Liverpool or Ancelotti will not be there this time.

Klopp v Ancelotti. Germany v Italy. Beard v eyebrow. It is one of the great modern coaching rivalries, and round 12 should be another fascinating contest.

Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi looks likely to miss the second leg of their Champions League tie against Chelsea after sustaining torn muscle fibres.

Adeyemi raced clear on the break to score a memorable winner as Dortmund claimed a 1-0 victory over the beleaguered Blues in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday.

At the age of 21 years and 28 days, that strike made Adeyemi the youngest player to net against Chelsea in the Champions League since Victor Osimhen did so for Lille in October 2019 (20 years, 277 days).

Adeyemi followed up that effort by opening the scoring in BVB's 4-1 Bundesliga win over Hertha Berlin on Sunday, while he also recorded an assist for Donyell Malen.

However, Adeyemi was forced off before the interval after suffering an injury in the move that led to his cross for Malen's goal, and was seen clutching his left thigh before being helped from the field.

Dortmund revealed the Germany international is expected to miss around three weeks of action on Monday, which would rule him out of their trip to Stamford Bridge on March 7.

"Borussia Dortmund's attacking player Karim Adeyemi sustained torn muscle fibres in the home game against Hertha BSC on Sunday," read an update from the club. "He will be unavailable to play for the team for approximately three weeks."

Adeyemi's injury comes at an unfortunate time, with the former Salzburg man having scored on each of his last four BVB appearances, after only netting twice in his first 20 outings for the club.

Marco Reus fired red-hot Borussia Dortmund into a three-way tie at the top of the Bundesliga and declared: "We want to keep riding this wave."

The captain was restored to Dortmund's starting line-up on Sunday after sitting out the midweek Champions League win over Chelsea, taking over from Jude Bellingham who dropped to the bench and handed over the armband.

Reus hit a stunning free-kick for Dortmund's third goal in a 4-1 win over Hertha Berlin, thrilling a crowd of 81,365 at Signal Iduna Park, with Karim Adeyemi, Donyell Malen and Julian Brandt also on the scoresheet.

Bellingham came on as a second-half substitute and achieved his 50th Bundesliga victory. At 19 years and 235 days old, it made the England midfielder the youngest player to ever reach that landmark. There could be plenty more to celebrate this season for the teenager.

The only real negative for Dortmund was a leg muscle injury Adeyemi sustained when setting up the second goal for Malen, with the forward likely to be absent for several weeks.

Dortmund have won all eight of their games since the German season resumed after the World Cup and winter break, powering into a tie for top spot having looked out of the title race just a matter of weeks ago.

"Before the winter break, nobody expected it to be so tight at the top of the table," Reus said. "We started a run that we continued today. We want to continue riding this wave, and in the end you will see what comes of it."

Union Berlin are the surprise package in the three-team group at the summit. Opta records show this is the first time in the three-points-for-a-win era, which began in 1995-96, that three teams have been tied on points at the top after matchday 21 in the Bundesliga.

Speaking to DAZN, Reus said: "You win, but you also can't give an inch, otherwise it will be difficult. We don't play the stars from the sky, we are effective. When I scored my free-kick, I realised as soon as the ball left my foot that it could be dangerous.

"I'm happy that after a long time I was able to score a free-kick goal again."

It was a first direct free-kick goal for Reus in the Bundesliga since he scored one against Bayer Leverkusen in May 2021, which itself came after a five-year wait.

The strike came shortly after Bellingham entered the fray, with Dortmund pulling away over the closing quarter.

Union missed a chance to take the outright lead in the title race, only managing a 0-0 draw at home against bottom side Schalke earlier on Sunday.

Bayern hold top spot thanks to their superior goal difference (plus 40), with Dortmund second and Union third, but it is clear this is now a proper title scrap.

The momentum is with Dortmund, given Bayern were beaten 3-2 at Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.

A Klassiker awaits in six weeks' time, when there could be plenty at stake.

Goalscorer Brandt said: "We still have a long way to go, but it's the same for Union and Bayern. We fought our way out of our situation before the winter break extremely well. I'm most happy today for Marco Reus, who scored a wonderful goal."

Dortmund coach Edin Terzic will wait to see how Adeyemi comes through tests on his injury, but the prospects of him returning soon look minimal.

"He probably won't be available to us for the next few games," Terzic said, "but we hope that it won't be too long before he can be back."

Graham Potter cannot wait for Chelsea's luck to change in front of goal to turn around their poor run of form.

A 1-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday was the latest in a disappointing string of results that has seen them win just one game in nine matches in all competitions since the turn of the year.

Karim Adeyemi's goal means Chelsea have a deficit to overturn at Stamford Bridge on March 7 if they are to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, though the Blues were perhaps unfortunate not to be taking a positive result back to London after an encouraging attacking display.

Potter's side had 21 shots, with eight on target, accumulating an xG (expected goals) of 2.2, while Joao Felix also rattled the woodwork. It was the most attempts Chelsea had registered in a Champions League knockout match without scoring since the 2011 quarter-final first leg against Manchester United.

Potter appreciated his team's increased attacking threat against Dortmund, but also feels there is more his side can do having now drawn a blank five times in their last nine matches.

"I don't like to use luck as something to wait for as you can't control it," Potter told reporters. "Clearly you need it.

"The Dortmund game was a positive in terms of chances created. The criticism for us and the fair criticism is that we haven't attacked as well as I would have liked us to. It was closer.

"We feel there's progress, but you play a game and you need to win it. There is a lot going on, integrating new players and all of the time playing good opponents. That's where we're at."

Despite Chelsea's recent bluntness, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has not started a game since early November with Kai Havertz largely preferred to the former Arsenal captain through the middle.

Yet Potter said of the striker: "Pierre remains an important part of his squad. His attitude has been really good.

"There's David [Datro] Fofana too who is a young player with potential. There are other forwards as well."

Chelsea will look for just a second win in 2023 when they host Southampton on Saturday, aiming to beat a side bottom of the Premier League and without a manager having sacked Nathan Jones last weekend.

Asked whether the game is a must-win fixture to keep hopes of European qualification alive, Potter replied: "It's a game we want to win. There's no point in focusing on four months away.

"We're focused on Southampton. We have to be ready for that challenge, to play at home and try to get three points.

"I thought the Dortmund performance away from home was another step forward, but we have a different challenge at the weekend. [We are] satisfied but [there is] always room to improve.

"Anything can come at you because they [Southampton] have a caretaker manager [Ruben Selles] and a week to prepare. We have no reference, that's the challenge. I think there's a big challenge coming our way."