Unstoppable Force: Danilho Doekhi, Union Berlin’s Goal-Scoring Defender

Six Goals and Counting

It could have been a pivotal moment for Union Berlin against Bayern Munich. With just seven minutes left on the clock, Die Alte Försterei erupted as center-back Danilho Doekhi netted his second goal of the match, putting Union Berlin ahead 2-1. Unfortunately, Harry Kane equalized for the Bundesliga champions in injury time, resulting in a 2-2 draw. Nevertheless, Doekhi’s brace was noteworthy. The result ended Bayern’s impressive winning streak to start the season and positioned Doekhi as the leading goalscorer among center-backs in Europe’s top five leagues.

Overall, Doekhi has found the net six times in just 12 matches across all competitions. The only other center-back in Europe’s top five leagues to match this tally is Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven, who has played four additional games. Remarkably, the next highest-scoring center-back is Englishman Charlie Cresswell, who has tallied three goals in 12 matches for Ligue 1’s Toulouse.

“It’s really amazing,” Doekhi told Transfermarkt. “Before games, you always hope to score, but doing it against Bayern—who have won 16 consecutive matches—was incredible. I aimed to perform well and potentially help with a goal, but to score two was surreal.” These two goals brought Doekhi’s tally to six this season, a significant achievement considering he had only registered 15 goals throughout his entire professional career prior to this season.

More Versatile Than Ever – What is Doekhi’s Scoring Secret?

There’s more to the story! A look at the Transfermarkt database indicates that, apart from a left-footed strike for Vitesse in 2021, all of Doekhi’s prior goals came from headers. This season, however, he has expanded his repertoire. He netted with his left foot in a 5-0 DFB Pokal victory over Gütersloh, followed by a header and a close-range strike against Borussia Mönchengladbach (3-1), and then scored with his right foot in a DFB Pokal match against Arminia Bielefeld (2-1 a.e.t) before scoring with both feet against Bayern.

“We have excellent set-piece takers and players who are dangerous in the box,” Doekhi explained. “Because of this, I try to position myself in the box a bit longer. Sometimes the initial attempt doesn’t succeed, but if a second cross comes in, it can get chaotic, allowing me to utilize my skill set. In cup games, the coach even pushed me up front during extra time. Overall, our team is significantly more dangerous this season compared to recent years.”

Doekhi’s season has been nothing short of phenomenal. When combining goals and assists, he and Van de Ven are at the forefront among players in Europe’s top five leagues. The graphic above illustrates that both players have six direct goal contributions, leading ahead of others such as Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal) and Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan), who have recorded five. In essence, Doekhi stands among Europe’s elite defenders, marking him as a player to keep an eye on in the upcoming weeks and beyond.