Is Ramy Bensebaini a reliable centre-back?

29.08.26 12:30 Bundesliga Germany

Borussia Dortmund

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Hamburger SV

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Algerian international Ramy Bensebaini is struggling to win over the supporters of both the Algerian national team and Borussia Dortmund.

After being moved to the heart of the defence, the Constantine native has been stringing together poor performances, both at club level and for his country.

Despite his best intentions, he fell short in his match last Saturday, during the Klassiker in the SuperCup, where the Schwarz-Gelben lost to Bayern Munich with a scoreline of 2-1.

A centre-back by training

Ramy Bensebaini was originally trained as a centre-back at the Algerian club AC Paradou.

Spotted during a tournament in Tablat, the former CS Constantine player joined the renowned Paradou academy, where he was mentored by Jean-Marc Guillou, the mastermind behind ASEC Mimosas’ golden generation, which later brought success to European clubs.

In his first European adventure, he played as a centre-back for Belgian side Lierse SK. In 29 appearances, he scored 2 goals.

His impressive displays in Belgium caught the eye of French club Montpellier, which offered him a chance to develop physically, technically, and tactically.

A successful conversion

Under the guidance of Rolland Courbis, he was converted to left-back, although he was also deployed as a centre-back and defensive midfielder.

With the Hérault club, he featured in 25 matches across all competitions, scoring twice—once against FC Lorient and once against SM Caen.

His versatility drew the attention of Stade Rennais, who signed him in 2016 for a fee of two million euros.

In 98 appearances for the Breton club, he netted 3 goals and registered just one assist.

From 2019 onward, he played more frequently as a left-back than as a centre-back, both for Borussia Mönchengladbach and the Algerian national team.

He excelled in this position, racking up 18 goals and 6 assists with his former German club. He was also one of the key figures in Algeria’s triumphant Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2019) campaign.

From 2025, however, he was used almost exclusively as a centre-back, both with Borussia Dortmund and the Algerian national team. Yet, his performance levels dropped dramatically.

What do the stats say?

Ramy Bensebaini has played 29 matches as a centre-back for Borussia Dortmund, during which his team conceded 30 goals—an average slightly above one goal per match.

With the Fennecs, the record is similarly underwhelming, with 13 goals conceded in as many matches played.

It’s true that the Borussia Dortmund defender possesses certain defensive qualities, such as his aggression and ability to win aerial duels. However, he struggles to contain quick opponents due to his lack of pace.

Moreover, his tactical reading of the game is far from optimal—a consequence of having spent most of his career as a left-back.

Another factor to consider is his physical fragility, linked to the high number of injuries he’s suffered since 2020.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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