Is this why Serhou Guirassy is struggling for form at Dortmund? | OneFootball

Right from the start, Serhou Guirassy launched into action so decisively that he seemed unstoppable in the Bundesliga. His five goals in the first five matchdays were perhaps the most crucial factor for Borussia Dortmund's successful start to the new season. However, in recent games, the goal machine with roots in Guinea has not been running smoothly.

At Sky, Patrick Berger claims to have identified the reason behind Serhou Guirassy's recent lack of scoring accuracy. Berger focuses on the moment when BVB was awarded a penalty in the 84th minute against Juventus Turin.

Serhou Guirassy wanted to take the penalty himself, but coach Niko Kovac appointed Ramy Bensebaini as the shooter in that Champions League match. Berger is convinced that this decision by the coach affected Guirassy's ego. Having to endure such a rejection in front of a million-strong audience would influence even professionals at this level. Since then, the previously reliable striker has been in a form crisis.

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Did Kovac's Decision Rob Guirassy of His Strength?

This assessment is supported by the raw numbers generated by Guirassy's performances. In the first five games, he averaged 4.6 shots on goal per 90 minutes. His expected goals value was 5.24, and indeed, Guirassy delivered the expected five goals.

Since the match in Turin, these numbers have dropped to only 1.4 shots per game and an xG value of 0.58. Nevertheless, Guirassy still managed to score with this low value. However, this is not remotely comparable to his output before the penalty incident. Additionally, the data on his involvement in the game supports the view that his form has significantly declined. Instead of an average of 41 ball actions in a game, Serhou Guirassy now only averages 30. And his duel success rate has dropped from 52 to just 40.

One must also consider the adversities the center forward has to contend with. Recently, he suffered a charley horse, even having to miss a BVB match. Furthermore, he frequently travels long distances for Guinea's international matches. A temporary slump is only human, argues Sky. Especially since Guirassy remains one of Europe's absolute top strikers – when he is in form.

Reaching this form again is now the responsibility of those in charge at BVB. Guirassy will be needed in top form for the next game: on October 18, Borussia Dortmund faces FC Bayern Munich.

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