In The Zone: Serhou Guirassy's star turn against Atalanta
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
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UEFA Technical Observer Steve Holland analyses Dortmund forward Serhou Guirassy's match-winning performance against Atalanta in the Champions League knockout phase play-offs.
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He was the joint-top scorer of the UEFA Champions League last season with 13 goals, and on Tuesday night Serhou Guirassy had another match to remember in the competition.
The Guinean centre-forward was the protagonist of Borussia Dortmund's 2-0 first-leg success against knockout phase play-off rivals Atalanta, scoring the opening goal then setting up Maximilian Beier to convert the second.
It was a Player of the Match display – "an excellent all-round centre-forward performance" according to UEFA Technical Observer Steve Holland – and the following analysis, brought to you by FedEx, will explore the details of his two goal involvements.
Guirassy's clever movement proves key
To begin with his third-minute strike, seen in the video above, Holland lauded Guirassy's movement before connecting with Julian Ryerson's cross ahead of Odilon Kossounou.
"He actually goes and marks the midfield player Marten de Roon, which means the centre-back's not actually looking for him," Holland explained. "Then he leaves the midfield player and just arrives in that gap.
"It's brilliant in terms of attacking the space between wing-back and centre-back, the timing of his arrival, and his ability to get on the end of it and then place it right in the corner.
"Sometimes when it's off that part of your head, you're just redirecting the pace of the ball, getting the contact and steering rather than trying to apply more power."
Guirassy himself said of his header: "I think the keeper [Marco Carnesecchi] was a little bit surprised because I put the ball to where it comes so it is difficult for [him]."
Scorer turns provider
Dortmund's forwards excelled with their opposite movements, with players coming short and creating space for others. For the second goal, Guirassy first dropped deep before the one-two with Felix Nmecha gave him the chance to outpace Berat Djimsiti down the left.
"He did brilliantly not just with the run, but the selection and the execution of the pass," added Holland, who also praised Beier's run into the five-metre box. "When you're asking players to come low and combine and move players around, it's not always easy to then also attack the goal."
Finally, Guirassy's cross typified his superb use of the ball, especially in the first half when 23 of his 25 passes found a yellow shirt. "The most impressive part about his passes isn't just that he connected, but the areas of the pitch that he passed from – he was all over that front line." But, crucially, in the box when it counted.
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