Edin Terzic called on Jude Bellingham to stand up and lead Borussia Dortmund in their "brutally difficult" Champions League task at Chelsea on Tuesday.
Dortmund head to Stamford Bridge for the second leg of their European last-16 clash with a 1-0 lead after Karim Adeyemi's second-half strike proved the difference in the first meeting.
Another heavyweight clash will provide Bellingham with a further chance to prove his worth on the biggest stage, having already impressed for England at the World Cup in Qatar.
The teenage midfielder remains a reported target of Liverpool and Real Madrid, as well as a host of Europe's elite, yet Bellingham's primary task will be helping Dortmund past Chelsea first.
Dortmund coach Terzic said at Monday's pre-match press conference: "Everyone knows his potential. He also had the opportunity to choose the Premier League when he came to us.
"But he chose Dortmund. He helps us and we help him. We're happy to have him with us, he's a leader of ours. We need a good performance from him."
Bellingham leads Dortmund's scoring charts with four goals in the Champions League this term, including a strike away at Manchester City in the group stages.
The 19-year-old could become the first Englishman in the history of the competition to score away from home against two different English sides.
However, Terzic acknowledged it will take a gutsy performance to overcome Chelsea despite Dortmund heading to England on a 10-match winning streak since the start of 2023.
"I don't think the form will decide tomorrow. It's a knockout game. We have a narrow lead," he added. "We are warned enough, we know what quality they have.
"We all know that sometimes 2-0 is not enough to go through. In the first leg, Chelsea didn't get the result they deserved, they caught us off guard a couple of times but didn't score.
"Then it becomes very dangerous. They showed that [in the Premier League] against Tottenham, against Leeds [United] and Southampton. It's going to be a brutally difficult task for us."
Chelsea had eight shots on target in the first leg, their highest number in a Champions League clash without scoring since Opta data began in 2003.
Graham Potter's side may have deserved more from the opening clash but Dortmund had Gregor Kobel's seven saves to thank – the most he has made in a single match in the competition.
Kobel has been out with a thigh injury and missed Friday's 2-1 Bundesliga victory over RB Leipzig, with Terzic refusing to make an early call on the goalkeeper's fitness for Chelsea.
"We will minimise the risk," Terzic said, before keeping his cards close to his chest and adding: "He has felt better every day."
Haaland endures Austria thrashing as Norway captain
Erling Haaland endured a miserable outing as Norway captain, with his goal-scoring exploits powerless in his side's 5-1 defeat to Austria in their Nations League encounter.
Haaland, standing in for injured skipper Martin Odegaard, watched on as his side suffered a second-half collapse at the Raiffeisen Arena.
The Manchester City striker became his nation's all-time top scorer with a brace in their 3-0 win over Slovenia, taking his total to 34 goals in 36 games, and threatened to add to that tally when he struck the post in the sixth minute.
However, a dominant start by the hosts was rewarded when Marko Arnautovic thundered his side in front in the eighth minute with a fierce effort off the crossbar.
However, Norway found themselves level six minutes before half-time when Alexander Sorloth headed Julian Ryerson's free-kick beyond the on-rushing Patrick Pentz.
Andreas Hanche-Olsen's foul on Christoph Baumgartner inside the box proved to be the beginning of the end for Norway, with Arnautovic stepping up to score the resulting penalty.
Austria increased their lead soon after through Philipp Lienhart's header, with Stefan Posch nodding the hosts 4-1 in front after being picked out at the back post by Marcel Sabitzer.
The rout was complete in the 71st minute, with Sabitzer again the architect, teeing up Michael Gregoritsch with yet another header to send Austria joint-top of Group B3.
Spalletti urges Italy to learn from Belgium mistake against Israel
Luciano Spalletti lauded Italy's spirit but warned his side must learn from their mistakes when they host Israel in Monday's Nations League clash.
Italy are top of their group, one point ahead of France, who smashed Israel 4-1 on Thursday.
Spalletti's side were held to a 2-2 draw with Belgium on the same day, throwing away an early two-goal lead after Lorenzo Pellegrini was dismissed for striking out at Arthur Theate.
The Azzurri manager referenced that error as Spalleti urged his side to use the Belgium draw as a learning curve.
"The team is working hard, sweating for the shirt, sacrificing themselves," the former Napoli head coach said at Sunday's press conference.
"The problem we learned from the last game is that in football one incident can ruin all the good work, so we must always learn from our mistakes."
Italy defeated Israel 2-1 in their first group-stage meeting thanks to goals from Davide Frattesi and Moise Kean in Budapest.
Spalletti expects another stern examination, however, as Israel aim to bounce back from their thrashing by France last time out.
"I don't know exactly who will start because it's a very delicate game with many hidden dangers," Spalletti added before confirming Guglielmo Vicario will start in goal instead of Gianluigi Donnarumma.
"Israel are a good team that can play football, so we have to keep our balance and organisation. I hope our team can take control of the game.
"Israel won't have the same attitude they showed against us or with France, as at times they sit deep and wait, at others they try to press you."
Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli will be pushing for a starting berth in Udine, though questions remain as to whether he can partner Torino's Samuele Ricci.
"Fagioli deserves more playing time and he is working hard, but this time I won't be able to give you too many hints on the line-up," continued Spalletti.
"He can play with Ricci, I gave him the role in front of the defence because I think it can suit him, but he must also know how to change tempo and direction, shake off man-marking and use the midfield like a trampoline to bounce the ball from one side to another."
Former Liverpool defender Matip confirms retirement after Anfield exit
Former Liverpool defender Joel Matip has confirmed his retirement from professional football.
Matip, who joined Liverpool on a free transfer in 2016, has been without a club since leaving Anfield at the end of last season and has since decided to call time on his 15-year career.
The 33-year-old started out at Schalke, making 258 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit and helping them lift the DFB-Pokal and German Super Cup in 2011.
Matip was among the first signings made by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, joining in the same window as Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum and Loris Karius.
He helped the Reds return to the Champions League in Klopp's first full campaign in charge, making 29 Premier League appearances and keeping nine clean sheets.
However, his spell with the Reds was marred by repetitive injuries, sustaining 16 different issues across his eight-year spell on Merseyside.
The former Cameroon international's final appearance for Liverpool came in a 4-3 win over Fulham in December 2023 after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the same game.
Matip made 201 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and winning six major honours, which included the Reds' sixth Champions League triumph.
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