the essential
Having started every match since the start of the season, the Moroccan has still not scored or provided an assist. The fault of his serious injury a year ago? Absolutely not, replies his coach, who is finally hoping for something to click for his attacker this Sunday, September 29 against Olympique Lyonnais (3 p.m.).
After five days of Ligue 1, Carles Martinez is still looking for the right offensive formula for his TFC, which has only scored five goals so far; only Angers (3) and Saint-Étienne (1) are doing worse. The Catalan coach tried different formulas, removing Frank Magri from his starting lineup, integrating Shavy Babicka or Joshua King (during the 4th day, Magri was suspended), but Zakaria Aboukhlal has not yet seen the kick-off of a match from the substitutes’ bench.
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The Moroccan international’s record, neither a scorer nor a passer yet, raises more and more questions as the weekends go by. Last year, the Toulouse number 7 was the strong man at the start of the season for the Violets, scoring three goals in four starts in the league, before being stopped by a serious knee injury in the Europa League in Brussels. It was a year ago, and if Aboukhlal had surprised by signing an ultra-rapid return, from March 15, 2024 against Olympique Lyonnais, several observers are wondering today if the Moroccan has fully recovered from his operation . Not Carles Martinez.” Coming back from this kind of injury is not easy. But that moment has passed, all that is behind him. He feels good. A few months ago, he could still have bad feelings: it is finished.”
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Aboukhlal creates a lot of chances, but misses them
Where, then, can we find the explanation for the disappointing performances of the man who reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar in 2022? “In the head” replies his trainer. “The head is the most important thing in football today, I insist on that. When you are mentally fresh, you are better. Zakaria needs this goal, but he is one of the players who generate the most chances, he fights, he is present, he creates danger” defends Carles Martinez. The Catalan’s argument is also supported by the figures. Since the start of the season, Zakaria Aboukhlal is third among players who have missed the most big chances in Europe, six in total (Opta figures), behind FC Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski (7) and Aston striker Villa, Ollie Watkins (6).
DSAS
This is the paradox of the Moroccan, and of all good attackers in general: the more chances we create, the more we miss. Except that Lewandowski and Watkins scored, six and three goals respectively, while the Toulouse player is still looking for the net. Aboukhlal, the fourth player in Ligue 1 to have had the most shots near goal, tries a lot but, for the moment, achieves nothing.
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Even if it means sometimes doing too much? Last Sunday in Brest, the winger insisted on Vincent Sierro to hit the penalty obtained by Yann Gboho and sent it into the clouds. A fact of play cleared up by Carles Martinez, who assures that the two players are “the two responsible for penalties, without hierarchy” and that they agree on a case-by-case basis to decide which of the two will try their luck. It also proved Zakaria Aboukhlal’s immense impatience to finally unlock his counter.
