Chelsea’s clash with Borussia Dortmund delayed by 10 minutes owing to traffic

Chelsea’s clash with Borussia Dortmund at Stamford Bridge was delayed by 10 minutes due to traffic outside Stamford Bridge.

Graham Potter’s side are looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the first leg, although they had to wait until kick-off due to the visitor’s late arrival on the pitch.

The German team, which is one of the fittest teams in all of Europe, arrived on the field about 30 minutes late.

That was despite sideline training in London earlier in the day, at Moorgate, on a bobbly pitch that costs £1,000 an hour to hire.

Dortmund trained at Chelsea’s stadium on Monday in preparation for the game, and Edin Terzic’s side have won 10 straight games since soccer resumed in Germany after the World Cup.

Chelsea are looking to overturn a one-goal deficit in the first leg at Borussia Dortmund.

However, on the day of the game, Dortmund were photographed doing a pre-game warm-up on an uneven surface at the Artillery Ground in Islington.

Just five minutes from Moorgate and Old Street stations, the private venue belongs to the Honorable Artillery Company (HAC), which is associated with the oldest regiment in the British Army.

“A bit of a delay, but now that we’re here, we’re ready,” Dortmund manager Edin Terzic said.

“We didn’t know if we were going to leave on time or if there would be a delay, but it won’t affect us.”

Dortmund’s hopes of advancing to the quarter-finals were shaken by the news that first-choice goalkeeper Gregor Kobel would miss the starting XI due to a thigh injury sustained on Friday night.

“It’s too risky to start with him, but he’s on the bench if we need him,” he said.

“We are going to talk about the system, we expect a line-up similar to the one they played against Leeds, but we are ready for this.

It will be emotional because it is a special night for us. We want to fight 1 on 1 and be brave, but we have to be compact, we have to support each other.

The match began at 8:00 p.m., with the start marked by yellow smoke from the visiting section billowing across the pitch.

Chelsea were looking to relieve significant pressure on manager Potter, who said before the match that his focus was not on his job prospects but on his team.

‘It’s good to have a victory, that has been positive for us. It felt like a good performance against Dortmund, I should have scored but that’s where we are at,” he said.

‘It’s a fantastic night for us, we’re looking to play well and hopefully get through. The most important thing is the team. My job is to help the team win.’