Fabio Silva has reached peak physical condition at Borussia Dortmund. His challenge lies in his effectiveness: he significantly benefits BVB as a substitute but has not yet delivered as a starter.
Only 13 players have scored more goals. Among them are two of his Borussia Dortmund teammates, Serhou Guirassy and Julian Brandt (three goals each). Fabio Silva has scored one fewer goal in the Bundesliga so far, despite coming off the bench. Nevertheless, it can be said that the Portuguese attacker is the league’s best super-sub.
The 23-year-old has made 25 appearances in Germany’s top flight, coming off the bench in 18 of them. In these appearances, he has been directly involved in seven of his eight goal contributions. Silva only started one match for BVB, the 3-2 home victory against St. Pauli in mid-January, where he assisted Karim Adeyemi’s opening goal.
«Whether I start or not, whenever the coach wants me on the field, I try to help the team,» the forward, who was permanently signed from Wolverhampton Wanderers for 22.5 million euros last summer, stated a few days ago. He then added a crucial observation for evaluating Silva: «I think everyone sees that I am more than just a player who scores goals.»
Silva finds himself in a true dilemma in his first season with BVB. This is not referring to the adductor injury he brought with him upon joining Borussia and whose post-operative recovery caused him to arrive significantly behind schedule. Silva is now physically at his best, with seven of his total nine starts occurring in 2024.
Fabio Silva’s Standout Substitute Performance in Frankfurt
The one-time national player has simply had a much better impact on the team as a substitute. Although Silva’s start at his new club was far from ideal, he has consistently impressed on the field.
When Silva enters the game, he usually shows exemplary effort immediately and brings the exact energy a team needs in the later stages of a match, which coaches naturally desire. His commitment is outstanding; he plays with pace, makes excellent runs into space, and, thanks to his great technique and high football intelligence, integrates well into combination play. His performance in the 3-3 draw at the start of the year in Frankfurt, for instance, was one of BVB’s best substitute displays in recent years.
Consequently, he has rightfully earned a few starting positions. In these games, Silva brought the aforementioned qualities, but the output – as mentioned above – was extremely meager. This, in turn, quickly led to him returning to the bench.
With Fabio Silva, BVB’s Offense Becomes More Fluid and Unpredictable
It is always noticeable how much Dortmund’s offense changes with Silva compared to Guirassy. With him, BVB plays more fluidly and unpredictably up front, whereas Guirassy is exclusively sought out as a target man. Numerous long balls and even more crosses are directed his way.
However, like Guirassy at times, Silva often found himself isolated in aerial duels during his starts, particularly in the almost chronically weak first halves that Borussia exhibited throughout the season. This is not solely, but also due to the simple fact that as a substitute, one usually faces more tired opponents towards the end of a match, and larger spaces open up.
«Of course, it’s important for a striker to score a goal – that’s the best feeling,» Silva said recently, explaining: «Sometimes things don’t come, sometimes you need more time. At certain moments this season, it was more important to assist goals. I think everyone can see from my playstyle that I can help the team. I am very satisfied with my performance and what I can give to the team.»
Despite Great Progress and Team-Oriented Play, Three Goals Are Too Few for a BVB Striker
He certainly can be. About three weeks ago, Niko Kovac attested to his good development. «For what feels like three or four weeks, I’ve seen a Fabio in training who has stepped up his game again. I see really great progress.»
After Silva’s goal for the 4-0 victory against Freiburg on Sunday, the coach said: «What he certainly lacked was physicality. We had to work on that a lot, and it takes time. A little run in the woods twice won’t make you Bundesliga-ready. You can see that with physical development comes the ability to play a Bundesliga game like this.»
Silva will have good prospects in BVB’s strategic reorientation, which apparently involves a significantly greater emphasis on playing elements, thanks to his profile. Especially considering the never-ending rumors, Guirassy’s future is likely to be discussed again in the upcoming transfer window.
However, Dortmund needs more goals from Silva; there’s no way around that for a striker. Three goals in 36 competitive matches, in which he played an average of 32 minutes, are too few. That he is involved in a goal every 115 minutes, given this playing time, is certainly respectable. therein lies his dilemma: both perspectives are valid.
Fabio Silva: Performance Data at BVB
| Competitive Matches | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 3 | 7 | 5 |