Joe Cole, a former midfielder for Chelsea and Liverpool, commended Kai Havertz, an attacker for the Blues, for his performance against Borussia Dortmund.
On Tuesday, March 7, the second leg of Graham Potter’s team’s matchup against the German team in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 took place at home. The Premier League powerhouses needed an outright victory by a difference of more than one goal to advance to the quarterfinals after falling down after the first leg in Germany by a goal.
Havertz, who has had a difficult season, turned in a strong effort to help Chelsea win the game 2-0 and advance 2-1 overall. At Stamford Bridge, the 23-year-old was a part of most of his team’s successful plays, and in the 53rd minute, he converted a penalty to score the game-winning second goal.
Cole, who was serving as a BT Sport analyst, praised the German forward, as reported by The Chelsea Chronicle:
In the buildup to the first half, Kai Havertz had a thundering strike disallowed for offside. Moreover, he missed his first chance from the penalty spot by hitting the post. But, an encroachment resulted in the referee ordering a new shot. This time, Havertz made a beautiful strike that landed in the bottom corner.
The forward finished the game with an 87% completion rate, two crucial passes, and six duels won. He also made a tackle and successfully completed all three of his dribbling attempts.