Karim Adeyemi’s brilliant breakaway goal for Borussia Dortmund means Chelsea have a 1-0 deficit to overcome following the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.
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Graham Potter's side had the better chances amid a boisterous atmosphere in Germany but Thiago Silva had a goal disallowed for handball and Joao Felix hit the crossbar when well placed. Ademeyi's solo run punished their earlier profligacy just after the hour mark.
It was cruel on Chelsea given their performance. Once behind they pushed hard for the equaliser and came close when Kalidou Koulibaly had his fierce shot cleared off the line by Emre Can. But they must now come from behind at Stamford Bridge to progress.
The defeat on the night means that Chelsea have now won only once in nine matches since the turn of the year and though Potter will have been encouraged by some of what he saw, this was further evidence that this is a team still finding ways not to seize victory.
The Chelsea boss told BT Sport: "The boys have been fantastic in terms of their work, but at the moment, we're suffering in terms of results. But the performance was a big step forward for us tonight.
"It's half-time. We need to regroup and take the game at Stamford Bridge."
Player ratings
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel (8), Wolf (6), Sule (7), Schlotterbeck (7), Guerreiro (6), Emre Can (7), Adeyemi (8), Bellingham (7), Salih Ozcan (7), Brandt (7), Haller (6).
Subs: Modeste (5), Ryerson (6), Bynoe-Gittens (6).
Chelsea: Kepa (5), James (7), Thiago Silva (6), Koulibaly (6), Chilwell (6), Loftus-Cheek (6), Fernandez (6), Havertz (6), Ziyech (5), Joao Felix (7), Mudryk (6).
Subs: Mount (6), Cucurella (5).
Player of the match: Karim Adeyemi
Analysis: 'Everything but the goal'
"Chelsea had everything but the goal," said Clinton Morrison on Soccer Special.
"They were really good and there are a lot of positives to take for Graham Potter, but they just could not put the ball in the back of the net.
"They have bought a lot of players but not an out-and-out No 9 who can stick away a chance. Chelsea will head back to London disappointed with the result, but Potter will be happy with the performance. What was lacking was the cutting edge in the final third.
"Joao Felix could have come away with the match ball on another night, but on the other hand Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi is hot property. There will be a lot of big clubs in England and across Europe looking at him. He has got a lot of pace and he caused Chelsea plenty of problems. His goal was outstanding."
Opta stats
- No shots on target in first half
Borussia Dortmund enjoyed their first win over an English side in the UEFA Champions League since September 2014 over Arsenal (2-0), ending a run of nine matches against English clubs without a win in the competition (D1 L8).
Before this season, Chelsea have been eliminated from each of their last three two-legged UEFA Champions League knockout ties when losing the first leg, last progressing in the 2013-14 quarter-final against PSG.
This was the first UEFA Champions League match this season not to see a first-half shot on target, despite the two sides attempting a combined 16 shots before half-time (Borussia Dortmund 11, Chelsea 5).
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