High-flying German club eye Champions League quarter-finals after 1-0 win in last-16 first leg
\n BERLIN
\nIf Borussia Dortmund\u2019s remarkable 2023 run is to continue at Chelsea on Tuesday, midfield master Jude Bellingham, 19, will need to be front and centre.
\nDortmund travel to London as European football\u2019s most in-form team, having chalked up ten wins from ten games to start 2023.
\nNine points behind leaders Bayern Munich at Christmas, Dortmund have closed the gap and now sit second on goal difference.
\nA hard-fought 1-0 win in the opening tie means Dortmund will make it through to the Champions League quarter finals if they avoid defeat on Tuesday evening.
\nWhile Marco Reus\u2019 likely inclusion means Bellingham, captain in Dortmund\u2019s first leg victory, may not wear the armband at Stamford Bridge, the English teenager will unquestionably be one of the side\u2019s on-field leaders.
\nIn what has been a breakout season for the English teenager bookending an impressive Qatar World Cup showing, Bellingham has saved his best performances for the biggest stage.
\nIn six Champions League games this season \u2013 two of which as captain \u2013 Bellingham, has scored four goals and laid on an assist.
\nA starring performance in his Champions League debut in London, and just his third club match on English soil since arriving in Dortmund, will be the next milestone in an astonishing run for the policeman\u2019s son from Stourbridge.
\nWhile Bellingham\u2019s playing style has attracted no shortage of accolades, the teenager\u2019s leadership for club and country has been given particular praise.
\nWhen England captain Harry Kane missed a late penalty which would have drawn the Three Lions level with France in the World Cup quarter finals, Bellingham was the first to console the Tottenham striker, despite being the youngest member of the 26-man squad.
\nBellingham\u2019s performances on the world stage for England also earned him the rare honour of having a bridge in downtown Birmingham named after him.
\nDesigns for the \u2018Bellingham Bridge\u2019 were unveiled on Saturday, with the local council saying the construction would contribute \u201cpositively to the city\u2019s identity both during the day and night.\u201d
\nDortmund manager Edin Terzic, who brought Bellingham into a three-man leadership group alongside Reus and World Cup-winning defender Mats Hummels, has frequently described the Birmingham City junior as \u201cthe oldest 19-year-old player in the world.\u201d
\nIn previous seasons, Dortmund have been criticised for placing too much responsibility in the hands of young players at a club frequently criticised for a fragile mentality.
\nBellingham has established himself as a nexus between Dortmund\u2019s experienced core and the club\u2019s troupe of talented youngsters.
\nHis maturity and leadership has helped the club keep the focus on the pitch.
\nUnlike last season, when the Erling Haaland transfer saga pushed Dortmund to the brink of distraction, whispers surrounding a possible summer exit for Bellingham \u2013 and a potential 150 million euro fee \u2013 have not destablised the club.
\nWhile the Norwegian publicly complained that Dortmund were \u201cputting pressure on me to make a decision about my future\u201d, Bellingham has frequently shut down speculation.
\nAfter October\u2019s 0-0 home draw with Haaland\u2019s Man City which saw Dortmund through to the Champions League knockout rounds, a smiling Bellingham told reporters who asked about a possible move: \u201cI\u2019m not going to write your headlines for you.\u201d
\nEven with a one-goal advantage, Dortmund\u2019s hopes against Chelsea have been dealt a blow by the absence of lightning-fast forward Karim Adeyemi, who scored the only goal in the first leg.
\nIn Adeyemi\u2019s place is another English teenage sensation, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, who has made a habit of scoring crucial goals for Dortmund this season.
\nThe London-born winger, who rejected the Chelsea academy to move north to join the Manchester City U15s, moved to Dortmund in September 2020.
\nBynoe-Gittens\u2019 first 18 months in Dortmund were interrupted by injury, but the 18-year-old has become an important part of manager Edin Terzic\u2019s rotation this season.
\nHis performances off the bench, coming on late to score in wins over Freiburg, Augsburg and Werder Bremen, have earned him first dibs at Adeyemi\u2019s spot in the starting XI.
\nA strong performance from Bynoe-Gittens, along with a good showing from Bellingham, will go a long way to ensuring Dortmund\u2019s high-flying run continues<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
High-flying German club eye Champions League quarter-finals after 1-0 win in last-16 first leg BERLIN If Borussia Dortmund\u2019s remarkable 2023 run is to continue at Chelsea on Tuesday, midfield master Jude Bellingham, 19, will need to be front and centre. Dortmund travel to London as European football\u2019s most in-form team, having chalked up ten wins […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-318022","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n