By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Bundesliga's best scorer is only a part-time worker. In only four of his nine season games Borussia Dortmund's Paco Alcacer was part of the starting eleven, but already he has scored ten goals.
The 25-year-old forward has not only scored the most league goals this season, but also set a new record last weekend. The Spaniard only needed 240 playing minutes to score nine league goals and one goal in the Champions League. He scores every 26 minutes on average. A figure, that sets a new mark in the 55-year history of Germany's first division.
In the 1963/64 season the former record holder, Hamburg's striker Gert Doerfel, needed 565 minutes to score the same amount of goals. Ahead of their Champions League group match against the Belgian side FC Bruges this Wednesday evening, Dortmund fans describe Alcacer as a "mentality monster". Lucien Favre praised his striker's instinct. "He feels football, he is born like that," the Dortmund coach said
The Group A clash will most likely be Alcacer's fifth appearance in the starting eleven. Considering his tight time frame on the pitch it is easy to understand that the Black and Yellows' new hero is desperately trying to be around for the full 90 minutes as soon as possible.
"It is his claim to be in the line up from the beginning, but if he continues to score that often coming from the bench we should think about it," commented Dortmund striker Marco Reus with a smile on his face. Alcacer is the currently best substitute in Germany's national league having scored eight goals coming off the bench.
As impressive as his harvest might be it seems to make sense to increase his playing time carefully. When joining Dortmund last summer from FC Barcelona, Alcacer was far from a footballer who had been on the pitch regularly over the previous two years.
He only played 12 games over 90 minutes in 24 months. Though he proved his qualities since the summer, Favre slowly increased his forward's exercise loads.
Due to the smart strategy, Alcacer could avoid a serious injury as he twice complained about muscle problems. The Swiss coach intends to count on his Spanish striker fully but has said the right time has yet to come. It is no secret that the man with the number nine on his shirt represents Dortmund's ambitious plans for the league this season.
A few days ago the side paid 23 million Euros to Barcelona to finally buy the on-loan-striker who now signed a contract with Dortmund valid until 2023.
Dortmund's quick decision to buy him after only ten games can be seen as a commitment of trust as Alcacer's on-loan-contract was set to expire at the end of the 2018/2019 season. "I am happy about the deal. Dortmund helped me to regain my confidence. That is what you need to be successful," Alcacer said.
Borussia Dortmund is the only unbeaten team in the Bundesliga. For the first time in the club's history, the Black and Yellows didn't lose one of their first twelve games.
By beating Bruges, Dortmund would proceed to the last 16 of the Champions League. Having bought Alcacer, Dortmund sports director, Michael Zorc is expecting a boost for the striker. "It does make a difference if you are just an on-loan-player or a steady member of a club. It will help him to feel at home," Zorc said.
