Sébastien Haller: The difficult period of returning to the field
After an exceptional end to the 2022/23 season with Borussia Dortmund, Sébastien Haller made a notable return to the Bundesliga fields. Unfortunately, since the start of the 2023/24 season, the center forward has struggled to find his rhythm and seems to be in difficulty, like his team which is struggling to convince before facing Paris SG this Tuesday.
Sébastien Haller’s return after his fight against cancer was described as a miracle by his trainer Edin Terzic. The Franco-Ivorian had been diagnosed with testicular cancer and had to undergo several rounds of chemotherapy and operations before being able to play again. But upon his return he had been impressive, scoring nine goals in five months and becoming Dortmund’s top scorer alongside Julian Brandt and Donyell Malen.
However, despite this good period, Sébastien Haller had a difficult end to the season. In the last Bundesliga match, he missed a crucial penalty that could have put his team back in the title race, but ultimately allowed Bayern Munich to seize the championship in the last minute.
Since the start of the following season, Haller and his team’s performances have fallen short of expectations. Although the results were decent on paper, with two wins and two draws, the content of the matches was disappointing. Haller struggled to create chances and did not score goals or provide assists. The departures of Jude Bellingham and Raphaël Guerreiro also weakened Dortmund’s midfield and impacted the supply of balls to Haller.
Faced with this situation, Borussia Dortmund recruited Niclas Füllkrug to compensate for the probable absence of Haller during the African Cup of Nations. Füllkrug, who is returning from injury, is already showing good qualities and could prove to be a serious competitor at the forefront of the attack.
Despite these new arrivals, coach Terzic will have to make a delicate decision during the match against Paris SG. Will Haller, who should start, be able to regain his former form? Or will Füllkrug, still recovering, get more playing time?
The future of Sébastien Haller and Borussia Dortmund remains uncertain, but one thing is certain: we will have to quickly regain offensive efficiency to hope to meet the challenges to come.