What’s wrong with the La Liga top scorer? Goalless so far in the Euros

According to Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo, the winner of the Pichichi Trophy, Dovbyk, has faced challenges on the European Championship stage, seemingly “disappearing.” After two goalless group matches, he now risks being demoted to the bench for upcoming fixtures.

In the recently concluded 2023/24 La Liga season, Dovbyk impressed fans and claimed the title of top scorer with outstanding performances, scoring against powerhouses like Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, and even netting a hat-trick against Sevilla and a quadruple against Granada. However, in the Euros, the Ukrainian forward seems to have lost his way.

In Group E of the Euros, Dovbyk failed to find the back of the net against Romania and Slovakia, not even registering a shot on target. In the opening 0-3 loss to Romania, he played the full 90 minutes but managed only one off-target attempt. Against Slovakia, despite Ukraine’s 2-1 victory that kept their qualification hopes alive, Dovbyk was substituted after 67 minutes, with his replacement, Yaremchuk, scoring the decisive goal.

Notably, Dovbyk’s 27th birthday coincided with the match against Slovakia, a moment that should have been a celebration, but instead, he grappled with the paradox of personal underperformance amidst team success. Throughout the game, despite his efforts in running and tackling, he had just two unthreatening shots and a limited number of touches.

Given Yaremchuk’s impact as a substitute, Dovbyk’s starting spot for the crucial encounter against Belgium is now in jeopardy. Manager Rebrov has made it clear that out-of-form players will not feature, as demonstrated by the benching of Lunin after his mistake in the first match, despite his solid performance for Real Madrid, helping the club secure both La Liga and Champions League titles.

Currently, Ukraine sits second in Group E with three points from their win over Slovakia. To secure a place in the knockout stages, they must at least draw their final group match against Belgium. Whether Dovbyk can rediscover his La Liga Golden Boot form and propel his national team forward is now a major talking point.