07 March 2023 , 22:58
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Joe Cole has praised Kai Havertz for stepping up to retake the penalty that booked Chelsea's place in the quarter-final of the Champions League.
Raheem Sterling's emphatic first-half finish sent the hosts on their way to overturning Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 advantage from the first leg before Havertz sealed victory on the night and progression into the next round.
Chelsea's second goal was not without drama. Potter's side were awarded a penalty after Marius Wolf was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area and Havertz actually missed from the spot the first time of asking.
However, after VAR reviewed some encroachment in the area, referee Danny Makkelie ordered a retake. This time, Havertz made no mistake, calmly stepping up for a second time to guide the ball into the same bottom corner he aimed for the first time.
Pressure on the German international was even higher given Sterling wanted to take the spot-kick initially, but Havertz's defiance actually impressed Cole according to his post-match remarks.
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Analysing the game for BT Sport, the former Chelsea ace explained: "He has got a great habit Kai, in big moments, we've seen him score the winning goal in the Champions League.
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"We watched, we had a great view from the studio and there was a little melee about who was going to take it, I think Raheem was there, Reece [James] was there and he [Havertz] grabbed it with real meaning and I thought 'yeah, he's going to put this away but to do the exact same technique was fantastic."
In truth, Chelsea managed to dominate proceedings and sustain the limited pressure that Dortmund could mount once the German side were forced to chase the game.
The Blues could have actually notched more than two given the number of times they caught their visitors out on the counter but failed to find the decisive final ball.
The volume inside Stamford Bridge at the final whistle was remarkable, with a mix of relief and delight washing over the ground as Chelsea now wait to see who they will meet at the quarter-final stage of the competition.
Amid all the pressure mounting on the Chelsea boss after some disastrous results in recent weeks, Potter's defiant punching of the air in celebration at full-time was a sight to behold.
He cut a nervous figure throughout the clash and could barely bring himself to watch Havertz's second attempt from the spot, but was clearly overjoyed after Chelsea booked their place in the next round of European club football's most prestigious competition.