With four goals and one assist in all competitions already this season, it is undeniable that Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Bynoe-Gittens has had an impressive start to the 2024/25 campaign.

However, despite this promising foundation, the 20-year-old Englishman has been unable to nail down a starting place for BVB, being given the nod only twice in the league so far.

Although this may seem difficult to comprehend given the youngster’s red-hot form, the statistics show that he is potentially better used as an impact substitute.

Thus, it seems pertinent to analyse the winger’s season so far and assess whether he ought to be given more chances to shine from the off.

STATISTICAL QUALITY

The primary evidence proving Bynoe-Gittens’ effectiveness as a substitute is that all of his goal contributions have come past the 70^th minute. He has no direct goal involvements when being named in the starting XI in either the Bundesliga or the Champions League.

Therefore, a brace in games against Club Brugge and Eintracht Frankfurt suggest that the winger becomes most potent against tired legs, utilising his speed and clinical finishing to exploit defensive lapses in a match’s closing minutes.

Bynoe-Gittens has played only 50% of all available minutes in the league, yet has Die Schwarzgelben’s most progressive carries with 19, and the side’s second most successful take-ons with 11.

Despite his lack of minutes on the pitch, these statistics indicate Bynoe-Gittens’ dribbling ability, surpassing those who have been granted a lot more playing time, such as Julian Brandt.

He also boasts the team’s third most touches in the opposition box (14), most carries into the penalty area (9) and third most shot-creating actions per 90 (4.38).

Perhaps more importantly, though, is the quality of Bynoe-Gittens’ finishing. Opta’s ‘Shooting Goals Added’ (SGA) statistic demonstrates how well a player is shooting by finding the difference between their Expected Goals on Target (xGOT) and their Expected Goals (xG).

A higher SGA expresses a higher quality of shots taken and thus better finishing. Below is Bynoe-Gittens’ SGA compared to some of Dortmund’s starting attackers:

Jamie Bynoe-Gittens – 1.12

Karim Adeyemi – 0.99

Serhou Guirassy – 0.33

Julian Brandt – -0.73

Therefore, on the basis of these statistics, Bynoe-Gittens is currently Dortmund’s best finisher, finding the net in the most clinical fashion out of his colleagues, proven by his four goals in a greatly reduced number of minutes.

RISK VS REWARD

Based on the data, then, why is Bynoe-Gittens not securing a starting spot in manager Nuri Şahin’s XI?

Well, it all comes down to risk vs reward.

At 5’7 and 20 years old, there are question marks over the Englishman’s physical stature, which are not helped by his less than impressive defensive stats.

Bynoe-Gittens has only won 33% of his tackles this season and struggles to win aerial duels. He also prefers to dribble rather than pass, having completed 107 less passes than teammate Brandt, for example. Brandt and Adeyemi have nine key passes each, with Bynoe-Gittens only accruing three, which further reveals this as an area of weakness.

When coupling this information with the fact that the young winger has also been the side’s most dispossessed player with a 52.4% take-on success rate, Şahin’s decision makes more sense.

Bynoe-Gittens has adapted a risky playstyle that focuses on dribbling at defenders, finishing chances in the box and succeeding in 1v1 scenarios.

Evidently, such a technique does not fit well with a team averaging 59.8% possession in the league, who often seek to retain the ball and fashion chances patiently.

CONCLUSION

When examining the evidence, it is currently hard to see Bynoe-Gittens forcing his way into being a definite starter for Nuri Şahin’s side.

While he is certainly a fantastic player, Brandt and Adeyemi appear to offer slightly more security in a tactical setup that looks to dominate games.

Bynoe-Gittens seems to be the perfect ‘Plan B’ player to throw into the mix when things are not clicking, however, as his pace, dribbling and accurate finishing provide an extra edge for BVB.

As time goes on, it is clear that more contributions from Bynoe-Gittens would give the manager a bigger selection headache, as it is impossible to not include a player who is so capable of turning a game on its head.

How long Bynoe-Gittens will have to wait to fully establish himself in a Dortmund shirt, only time will tell.

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