Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy takes on his former aspect Lille within the Champions League final 16 on Tuesday as seemingly the completed product, a decade within the making.
Guirassy has virtually single-handedly guided a struggling Dortmund by way of the Champions League to date this time period after signing final 12 months from Stuttgart.
In his first season in Europe’s high competitors, Guirassy has extra objectives than anybody else within the Champions League, with 10 in 10 matches.
That dominant displaying is a far cry from Guirassy’s time at Lille, who he joined from boyhood membership Laval in 2015.
Guirassy performed simply 9 video games for Lille, scoring as soon as, and was despatched out on mortgage to then-Ligue 2 aspect Auxerre, earlier than becoming a member of Cologne in 2016.
His disappointing stint at Lille was considered one of a number of stops as he bounced across the first and second divisions in France and Germany, earlier than exploding into kind for Stuttgart final season.
As lately as two seasons in the past, Guirassy, a 1.88-metre tall striker equally adept together with his head as with each ft, seemed on monitor for a profession marked by missed alternatives and failed potential.
After making his top-flight debut with Lille in 2015, aged 18, Guirassy performed for 5 completely different golf equipment in seven seasons till his transfer to Stuttgart in 2022.
He struggled with a sequence of muscle and knee accidents, which robbed him of confidence and consistency.
Solely as soon as did he hit double figures in a home league marketing campaign, scoring 10 objectives in 27 video games for Rennes in 2020-21.
Final time period, nonetheless, Guirassy hit heights he had by no means reached earlier than.
He scored 28 objectives in 28 Bundesliga video games as Stuttgart, relegation candidates the earlier season, completed second forward of Bayern Munich.
His class and flexibility in entrance of purpose earned him a transfer to Dortmund in the summertime. This season, the France-born Guinean worldwide has continued his stellar kind, notably in Europe.
Guirassy’s exploits in yellow and black, with 24 objectives in 32 video games in all competitions, are all of the extra spectacular contemplating how badly Dortmund have struggled.
Final season’s Champions League finalists have crashed again to earth this 12 months. Dortmund sit tenth within the Bundesliga desk, 26 factors behind leaders Bayern and 6 factors exterior the highest 4.
Dortmund completed tenth within the Champions League league section — one level and three spots behind Lille, however crucially exterior the highest eight, that means they wanted to navigate a two-legged play-off tie with Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon.
Guirassy scored a purpose and laid on an help in a 3-0 win in Portugal, placing Dortmund on monitor to face Lille.
– ‘Extra to come back’ –
Dortmund might have wanted Guirassy to bail them out frequently this season, however there are indications the 1997 Champions League winners have turned the nook underneath new coach Niko Kovac.
Saturday’s 2-0 win at St Pauli was simply Dortmund’s second away win within the league this season — and the primary time they’ve gained two Bundesliga video games in a row this time period.
Kovac, a former Bayern, Eintracht Frankfurt and Monaco coach, has solely had six video games in cost, however his simplified message appears to resonate.
Germany ahead Karim Adeyemi has been maybe the obvious beneficiary.
In opposition to St Pauli, the 23-year-old scored a surprising solo purpose and created a purpose for Guirassy.
“I do not suppose we had been within the place we deserve within the desk,” Adeyemi informed the Bundesliga web site.
“(Kovac informed me to) ‘Play to my strengths, pace and one-on-one duels — and rating objectives’.
“That is what he desires. I attempt to present that and to carry it each recreation.
“I am gaining self-confidence, however there’s positively extra to come back. I am constructing on that.”
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