Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic acknowledged his side were fortunate to defeat Chelsea – but saw little reason to apologise for a fortuitous Champions League victory.
Chelsea dominated at the Signal Iduna Park but Karim Adeyemi's ruthless 63rd-minute strike ensured Dortmund will head back to Stamford Bridge on March 7 with a slender 1-0 lead in the last-16 tie.
Joao Felix twice spurned gilt-edged chances in the first half before Adeyemi broke away from a Chelsea corner to round Kepa Arrizabalaga and earn Dortmund a rare win over English opposition on Wednesday.
It marked the Bundesliga side's first win against an English team in European competition for 11 games, their last such victory against Tottenham in March 2016.
Terzic pinpointed Gregor Kobel, who made a personal Champions League record seven saves, as the difference as Dortmund rode their luck to snatch the advantage at the halfway point in the two-legged affair.
He told DAZN: "It's great to come out on the winning side.
"There was a little bit of luck involved and we had an exceptional goalkeeper.
"But there's no need to apologise after winning at home against Chelsea in the last 16.
"What we really needed was longer periods of possession. We won the ball well in midfield a lot, but then gave it away again too cheaply.
"There were a lot of good things, too – the best of which is the result – but we know it's not easy to play against Chelsea and we took a good step tonight."
Chelsea registered 21 shots to Dortmund's 14, with the Blues finding the target with eight of those compared to the hosts' two.
Graham Potter's men amassed an expected goals tally of 2.14 to Dortmund's 1.41 as well, suggesting Chelsea had higher quality chances, albeit they were unable to find a decisive strike.
While Kobel kept his 11th clean sheet in 23 games in all competitions this term, one more than the whole of last season (10 in 40 matches), Terzic felt Dortmund handed Chelsea the initiative too often.
"I feel like we defended our goal well but made it a little too easy for them to get into the final third at times," he added.
"If you saw how often we threw ourselves into challenges, how many shots we blocked, Chelsea have an incredible quality up front.
"But Gregor Kobel is in incredible form and we know when things get tight we can rely on him."
Cambridge earn much-needed Wycombe point to keep hopes of beating drop alive
Cambridge’s fight to stave off relegation will go down to the final day of the season after a 1-1 League One draw with Wycombe.
Victory would have seen the U’s safe with a game to spare and they looked on course to achieve that, only for Luke Leahy’s late penalty to deny them.
Cambridge travel to Port Vale on Saturday needing a point to secure their League One place.
Gassan Ahadme headed into the side netting early on before Wycombe chances saw Nigel Lonwijk heading onto the crossbar and Will Mannion save from Jason McCarthy at his near post.
Mannion then did well to tip Kieran Sadlier’s effort from distance onto the post.
Franco Ravizzoli denied Macauley Bonne from point-blank range after 66 minutes before Mannion turned Matt Butcher’s powerful shot wide.
Ahadme broke the deadlock for the hosts after 71 minutes with a thumping header from Liam Bennett’s excellent cross.
But seven minutes from time, Lyle Taylor brought down Lonwijk and Leahy equalised from the spot for a share of the spoils.
Cheltenham take survival fight to final day after beating Peterborough
Cheltenham kept their survival hopes alive going into the final day of the League One season after a 2-0 home win over promotion-chasing Peterborough.
First-half goals from Joe Nuttall and Matty Taylor took Town, in the final relegation place, two points behind Burton.
With their play-off spot already secured, Posh boss Darren Ferguson rested a host of regulars, making seven changes.
And his youthful side were blown away in the first half by the Robins, who knew anything other than a win meant relegation with one game to play.
Nuttall reacted quickest to bundle the ball over the line from close range after goalkeeper Nicholas Bilokapic could only parry Liam Sercombe’s shot in the 11th minute.
The lead was doubled 10 minutes later when Taylor brought down a ball forward from Lewis Freestone and applied an expert finish.
Taylor crashed a shot against the post in the 32nd minute after Liam Kinsella’s pass and Elliott Bonds forced Bilokapic into a smart save two minutes later.
Posh threatened through Ricky-Jade Jones before half-time, but they were second best and Taylor and Bonds both forced Bilokapic into evasive action in the second half.
At the other end, Luke Southwood parried Jonson Clarke-Harris’ shot in the 58th minute and kept out a late header from the centre forward.
Cheltenham must beat Stevenage on Saturday and hope that Burton fail to win at Fleetwood and or Cambridge lose to Port Vale, if they are to escape the drop.
Colchester still in relegation danger as Doncaster march on towards play-offs
Doncaster recorded a 10th successive victory, 4-1 at lowly Colchester, to move into the League Two play-off places.
Colchester took a ninth-minute lead through Jayden Fevrier, who converted at the far post after Tom Hopper had got behind the Doncaster defence and picked him out.
But Doncaster equalised five minutes later when Luke Molyneux collected Jamie Sterry’s short free-kick and unleashed a low left-foot shot from 25 yards that sailed into the far corner.
Rovers completed a rapid turnaround in the 22nd minute through Harrison Biggins, who swept home from close range after Molyneux had beaten Ellis Iandolo and crossed into the area.
Doncaster extended their lead in the 76th minute when Tom Anderson squeezed a shot past Sam Hornby and in at the near post after Hakeeb Adelakun had picked him out from another short free-kick.
And Rovers sealed their victory in the 85th minute when Joe Ironside tapped in from close range after James Maxwell’s shot had been tipped onto a post by Hornby.
The result prevented Colchester securing their survival, ensuring they go into the final fixtures three points ahead of Sutton and now only four better on goal difference.
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