Joaquin Panichelli’s fast start stalls as Strasbourg await a response after seven games without a goal | OneFootball

Joaquin Panichelli goes into Sunday’s 17:15 Ligue 1 meeting with Lorient on a run of seven matches without a goal. With Emmanuel Emegha out for at least six weeks, he is the only fit centre-forward.

According to L'Équipe, at Pittodrie he was told by Liam Rosenior to take a penalty won by Martial Godo after coming on, but Ismaël Doukouré kept the ball and missed in the 72nd minute. Panichelli immediately consoled him.

He exploded early, scoring nine in the first 10 league games and an overhead in the 1-1 with Jagiellonia on 23 October. His last goal was on 29 October against Auxerre, 3-0.

Alongside Emegha against Lille on 9 November, 2-0, and at Lens on 22 November, 0-1, their link-up was sparse and Panichelli had no shot in either. He also made his Argentina debut on 14 November against Angola, 2-0, sharing the pitch with his idol Lionel Messi.

On 27 November against Crystal Palace, 2-1, Emegha started in his place, and Panichelli replaced him in the 74th minute, playing further from the box. Against Brest on 30 November, 1-2, before Emegha came on he had three efforts, including an overhead saved by Grégoire Coudert at 45+1 and a strike against the post at 28.

Strasbourg have dipped, with six defeats in 10 league rounds, average xG down to 0.8 over the last five from 2.0 across the first 10, and shot-ending sequences down from 20.6 to 16.8. After the 1-0 in Aberdeen, Rosenior offered an ironic riposte that they are in the Conference League last 16 and two points off the top five. The task now is to reconnect Panichelli with his team-mates, with Lorient, Breidablik and Dunkerque to come before the break.

Source: L'Équipe