Penalty row in Turin: Ramy Bensebaini is the new number one taker | OneFootball

Due to the two late goals conceded and the victory that slipped away in stoppage time at the start of the Champions League against Juventus Turin (4:4), it was initially somewhat overlooked that Serhou Guirassy and his teammates were clearly not in agreement regarding the execution of the supposedly decisive penalty in the 86th minute to make it 4:2. However, the dispute at the penalty spot resurfaced after the match and revealed a new hierarchy among the penalty takers.

After referee Francois Letexier penalized a handball by Lloyd Kelly with a penalty whistle, but the VAR review was still ongoing, Guirassy grabbed the ball and made it clear with his body language that he wanted to take the shot. Karim Adeyemi, Julian Brandt, and Ramy Bensebaini, however, spoke firmly to the striker, while coach Niko Kovac gave a clear signal from the sidelines that Bensebaini should take the penalty. The Algerian then stepped up and scored, extending his flawless professional penalty record to eleven goals from eleven attempts.

“No longer an issue after the game”

Not least because of Bensebaini’s accuracy, but presumably also due to Guirassy’s missed attempt on the first Bundesliga matchday at FC St. Pauli, the penalty-taking order at BVB has changed. “That was predetermined,” Kovac confirmed after the match on “Prime,” naming Bensebaini as the first-choice taker, but at least publicly refrained from criticizing Guirassy’s behavior: “Of course, I understand that Serhou wanted to take the shot. He wants to score the goal. But it was clearly defined. Everything’s fine. We’re not going to make a mountain out of a molehill.”

Sebastian Kehl expressed a similar view: “It was actually clear that Ramy would take the penalty – and he converted it ice-cold. Of course, it’s obvious that Serhou, as a striker, also wants to score,” said the sporting director, who nevertheless sees no problems between Guirassy and Bensebaini: “The two still get along well. In the end, the ball was in the net, and that was the decisive thing. It was no longer an issue after the game, and with that, it’s settled.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.