Serhou Guirassy broke Robert Lewandowski's record for the most goals to start a Bundesliga season. bundesliga.com takes a closer look at the phenomenal VfB Stuttgart forward's route to German top-flight history...

*Stats correct as of 31 December 2023

Serhou Guirassy
Age: 27 (born 12 March 1996)
Club: VfB Stuttgart
Position: Striker
Country: Guinea (12 caps, 3 goals)

Key stats 

Born in the southern French city of Arles to Guinean parents, Guirassy enjoyed an eye-catching start to his young career by posting some prolific goalscoring numbers with USM Montargis and, in particular, at J3 Amilly. Despite an unsuccessful trial at Auxerre, Laval took the rapidly developing forward under their wing and they would eventually make Guirassy the club's youngest-ever pro at 17.

Showing a sharp eye for goal and boasting an unselfish side that saw him laying on several assists, the 6'2" striker began receiving youth caps for France soon after joining his new side. His progress to the Laval's seniors led to him netting seven goals in 38 games across two seasons and earned a move to the French top flight with Lille. 

Watch: Guirassy's roots

However it was while scoring eight goals in 16 second-division games on loan at Auxerre in the second half of the 2015/16 campaign that would first bring Guirassy to the Bundesliga with Cologne. 

Despite a tricky start to life on the banks of the Rhine, Guirassy netted his first German top-flight goal for Cologne against Bayer Leverkusen under the team's then coach Peter Stöger on October 28, 2017. Despite Guirassy being the Billy-Goats' top scorer in all competitions that season, however, his efforts could not prevent Cologne from relegation. 

A return to France with Amiens and then Rennes saw Guirassy raise his level further and a highlight during his time back in France was scoring Rennes' first-ever goal in the UEFA Champions League. Stuttgart subsequently swooped and snapped up the Guinea international on loan for the 2022/23 season.

Man with the match ball: Guirassy takes the praise following his Matchday 4 hat-trick heroics. - IMAGO/HMB-Media

About the players

9

Serhou Yadaly

Guirassy

VfB Stuttgart

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Netting 11 Bundesliga goals and adding a further strike in the two-legged relegation/promotion play-off victory against Hamburg saw Guirassy seal a permanent move to the MHP Arena. 

Guirassy began the 2023/24 campaign by scoring eight goals with eight shots on target in his first four top-flight games for Die Roten, a feat never before achieved by any player at the club. He added another two in the 3-1 win over Darmstadt on Matchday 5 and bagged a second hat-trick of the season in a win over Wolfsburg on Matchday 7. The treble saw him soar further in front in the top goalscorers' race as he surpassed Robert Lewandowski to record the highest-ever Bundesliga goals haul at such an early stage of a season. Injuries interrupted his progress, but he ended the first half of the season with an extraordinarily impressive 17 goals in 14 games. 

Plays a bit like: Mario Gomez

Guirassy is a rangy opportunist, who despite his impressive physicality has developed into a bona fide penalty box predator, converting his goals with unerring efficiency. Stylistically he is not too dissimilar from another Stuttgart great in Mario Gomez. 'Super Mario' fired the Swabians to the Bundesliga title in 2007, and the way Guirassy has started the season, fans of Die Roten might be forgiven for dreaming of a repeat.

Watch: All 13 Guirassy goals after Matchday 7

Did you know?

Despite scoring 11 goals across various youth categories for France, Guirassy chose to represent Guinea in March 2022. Prior to the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, he had won 12 caps for the country of his parents' birth and has scored senior international goals against Brazil, Egypt and Gabon. 

What they're saying

“It’s very good but I can only repeat, we do it as a team and when I score it’s credit to the whole team. I scored today but maybe next week it’ll be someone else. Obviously I’m very happy about my hat-trick but I’m even happier with the win." - Guirassy speaks after netting the first hat-trick of his Bundesliga career in VfB's win against Mainz on Matchday 4 this season. 

"We’re on a roll right now and up front we’ve got a striker in Serhou who’s putting everything away." - Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeneß praises his star striker after he extended his run of goals to seven against Mainz. 

About the clubs

VfB Stuttgart

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