Serhou Guirassy's Late Goal Secures Borussia Dortmund's DFB-Pokal Victory Over Rot-Weiss Essen

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Serhou Guirassy emerged as Borussia Dortmund's hero, netting a decisive goal in the 79th minute to secure a 1-0 victory over Rot-Weiss Essen in the DFB-Pokal's first round. Niko Kovac's team faced a tough challenge against the third-tier side, with their win marred by Yan Couto's injury late in the match.

Dortmund began strongly, with Marcel Sabitzer and Felix Nmecha testing Essen's goalkeeper Jakob Golz within the opening minutes. Despite these early efforts, Dortmund struggled to convert chances, prompting Kovac to introduce Jobe Bellingham and Julian Brandt from the bench after an hour.

The breakthrough came when Guirassy latched onto Ramy Bensebaini's pass, slotting it into the bottom-right corner just 11 minutes before full-time. This goal ensured Dortmund's progression but was overshadowed by Couto being stretchered off following a reckless challenge by Kelsey Owusu, who received only a yellow card.

Guirassy has been pivotal for Dortmund, contributing significantly to their fourth-place Bundesliga finish last season. In 2025 alone, he has scored 27 goals in 32 matches across all competitions, outscoring any other Bundesliga player by at least five goals during this period.

Dortmund will aim for better performance in their upcoming Bundesliga opener against St. Pauli on Saturday. Despite having more shots than Essen, they registered an expected goals (xG) of just 0.86 compared to Essen’s 0.92 from their attempts.

The match ended on a bittersweet note for Dortmund fans as they celebrated a hard-fought victory while worrying about Couto’s condition. The team will need to address these issues as they prepare for tougher challenges ahead.