Dario Essugo scored on his first start for Strasbourg, and the goal came from the edge of the box in the 41st minute. The Chelsea loanee had been pushed into a more advanced No 8 role by Hugo Oliveira, and that shift immediately changed his influence in Ligue 1. Strasbourg still lost 2-1 to Nice after Essugo had given them the lead.
Essugo's new No 8 role
Essugo said the change has given him more freedom to get forward. Speaking to Standard, he said: "He wants me to be myself. He wants me to play as more of a No8, and that's good for me because I can get in the box more."
He added: "It's a new thing for me, but I can drive the ball more and help the team in defence." That fits what Strasbourg asked for on his first start. The move higher up the pitch led to his first goal for the club and his best recent performance, with a 7.97 rating against Nice.
Essugo now has 1 goal and 1 assist in 4 appearances this season, from 168 minutes of football. That is a decent start for a young loanee in a new league, and it gives Strasbourg a reason to keep using him in a role that lets him arrive in the box rather than sit deeper.
The real test is whether Oliveira keeps him there when Strasbourg play again, but the first evidence is already clear enough: Essugo looked more involved when he was asked to play higher, and the payoff came against Nice.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
