39 goals, no alternative: How dependent BVB is on Guirassy

Borussia Dortmund is entering his second season with Serhou Guirassy. Their dependence on a single player could hardly be greater.

"Serhou is a life insurance policy for us," said Nico Kovac about his striker before the Bundesliga kick-off on Saturday (6:30 p.m.) against St. Pauli.

St. Pauli - Dortmund, Sat. 6:30 p.m.

A coach can't bestow a greater honor on his player. It demonstrates the importance Guirassy has earned in his debut season at Borussia Dortmund .

Guirassy "saves" BVB at Rot-Weiss Essen

The 29-year-old recently proved once again that "life insurance" certainly applies. In the first round of the DFB Cup, BVB struggled to a 1-0 victory in a tough match against Rot-Weiss Essen – thanks to a goal from Guirassy. In a game without any major scoring opportunities, the center forward snatched the ball on the edge of the penalty area in the 79th minute and, somewhat unconventionally and seemingly out of nowhere, scored the winner. "In games like these, you need players who make the difference," Kovac said after the match on the ARD microphone.

26 Bundesliga goals - only Kane scored more

Guirassy has become this life insurance policy in just one year. Without Guirassy, BVB would not have achieved its goals – both nationally and internationally.

With his 26 Bundesliga goals, Guissary played a key role in Dortmund's comeback in the second half of the season. After a dismal 10th-place finish at the end of the first half of the season, Dortmund salvaged their place in the Champions League on the final matchday. On Matchday 34, Guissary put BVB on the road to victory against Holstein Kiel with his 1-0 goal in the third minute.

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BVB has no real alternative in attack

And in his first season in the Champions League, Guriassy had no trouble getting started. He scored 13 goals in 14 matches and finished joint top scorer with Barcelona's Raphina.

As the only true center forward, BVB relies on Guirassy more than any other player. While Maximilian Beier can also fill the center forward position if Guirassy is unavailable, the German international, like Karim Adeyemi, feels more comfortable on the outside positions.

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Last Bundesliga season, Guriassy was responsible for almost 30 percent of all BVB goals. Only Mainz 05, with Jonathan Burkhardt, was more dependent on one player (33 percent). In the Champions League, Guirassy scored almost every second Dortmund goal.

Dortmund wants to expand on the transfer market

By using the term "life insurance," Kovac openly and honestly admits what the numbers confirm. It's also a kind of concession to rely so heavily on a single player. Should Guirassy, who made 50 competitive appearances in his first year at Dortmund, be sidelined, BVB faces a problem.

"Of course, you can also assume that something negative will happen. If I were to approach it that way, my life wouldn't be as good, so we have to think positively. I hope he stays with us in a healthy state," says Kovac.

There is no potential backup for Guirassy (yet). New signings so far have only been made in goal, defense, and midfield. However, attacking reinforcements are expected to arrive.

"The transfer window is still open for all clubs. We're still investigating," said Kovac. BVB is currently considering Portuguese striker Fabio Silva from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

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For Guirassy personally, his standing could hardly be better. He is an undisputed regular starter and, thanks to last-minute qualification, can once again score goals in the Champions League.

It was a logical consequence that, after his breakthrough in the 2023/24 season with then-runners-up VfB Stuttgart, he would also hit the ground running in Dortmund, scoring 28 goals in 28 games. However, Guirassy's previous seasons were rather mediocre – in the previous seasons, he scored eleven goals at VfB, and nine and ten goals at Stade Rennes. During his rather unfortunate time at 1. FC Köln, where he was under contract from 2016 to 2019, Guirassy scored nine goals in 45 competitive matches.

No matter who Borussia Dortmund signs next, there seems to be no getting past Guirassy. The Guinean international has earned this reputation by scoring 39 goals in 51 competitive matches in just one season for BVB.

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