Niko Kovac praised Serhou Guirassy’s standout contributions for Borussia Dortmund this season, highlighting his significance forward of their Bundesliga assembly with Augsburg.
The 28-year-old Guinea worldwide, signed from Stuttgart in July final 12 months, has scored 24 objectives throughout all competitions this season and has typically been the distinction between victory and defeat for Dortmund in a tough marketing campaign.
He’s the league’s prime goalscorer within the second half of the season with seven objectives, equalling his tally from the entire first half of the marketing campaign.
In actual fact, Guirassy has scored twice as many objectives per 90 minutes because the halfway mark (1.0 vs. 0.5) and his xG per 90 minutes can be twice as excessive throughout this era (additionally 1.0 vs. 0.5).
“He’s like our life insurance coverage in the intervening time. He’s all the time on and has to get by it,” Kovac instructed reporters.
“The truth that it’s Ramadan now doesn’t make it any simpler for him, however he’s an absolute skilled and he’ll handle that too.”
Practising Muslim adults don’t eat or drink from daybreak to sundown throughout Ramadan, presenting challenges to skilled athletes.
Dortmund, who’re tenth within the standings on 35 factors, shall be seeking to construct on their wins over St Pauli and Union Berlin after they host Eleventh-placed Augsburg on Saturday.
It’s the first time they’ve received back-to-back Bundesliga video games this season, and the primary time because the opening two matchdays they’ve saved consecutive clear sheets within the competitors.
Augsburg wish to do the league double over Dortmund for the primary time within the competitors’s historical past, and Dortmund are in for a troublesome activity in the event that they need to keep away from that destiny. Their guests’ resolute defence has let in solely two objectives in an eight-game unbeaten run within the league.
“Augsburg is a group that performs very bodily soccer. They play with a really compact five-man defence, which has allowed little or no not too long ago,” Kovac stated.
“It’s as much as us to place loads of strain on them and create sufficient probabilities in order that we are able to get our followers on our aspect and hopefully win this sport.
“We take our opponents very severely. Now we have to strategy the sport very severely and with focus.”
Dortmund shall be with out left-back Daniel Svensson, who suffered a ligament harm of their 1-1 draw with Lille within the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday, in addition to midfielder Felix Nmecha.
“We received’t change issues [on Saturday]. The one factor that’s clear is that we’ll have to switch Daniel,” Kovac stated.
“Svensson will miss a while. [Carney] Chukwuemeka educated with us in the present day, however sadly didn’t give the inexperienced mild. He received’t be concerned tomorrow. Aside from Nmecha, everybody else shall be effective and wholesome.
“[Nmecha] accomplished his first run in the present day. His degree is passable… It should take time, however he shall be an essential a part of this membership’s future.”
