PROFILE | Prolific Thijs Dallinga now figures amongst Ligue 1’s elite | OneFootball

Rewind to the end of the 2021/22 season and Thijs Dallinga was playing in the Dutch second division promotion play-offs helping Excelsior Rotterdam secure promotion to the Eredivisie. Return to the current day and the 23-year-old has established himself as one of the most prolific strikers in Ligue 1 whilst producing a career-highlight performance in the final of the Coupe de France to win the trophy with Toulouse.

With the two aforementioned achievements, 2023 has been a year to remember for Dallinga and fans of Toulouse. The Dutch striker was relatively unknown to fans outside of the Netherlands before he signed for Toulouse but his performances for Les Violets last season have highlighted just how effective the moneyball approach to transfers of RedBird Capital, their owners, can be.

In Ligue 1, Toulouse recorded a respectable 13th-placed finish which left them clear of any relegation worries. Dallinga’s performances in the French top flight were crucial to this, as he scored 12 goals in the league last season. The former Excelsior forward’s ability to break in behind at pace and finish on the counter became an eye-catching element of Toulouse’s play and showed the true qualities he possesses as a throwback striker. Despite being more of a finisher than a creator, the Dutchman also assisted one goal during the campaign.

Dallinga earns Le TéFéCé Europa League football

Whilst his performances in the league were impressive, they were nothing compared to inspired efforts in the Coupe de France. Toulouse were the eventual winners of the competition and Dallinga was instrumental in their journey to the Stade de France to lift the 105-year-old trophy.

Throughout the Coupe de France campaign, Dallinga scored six goals and assisted a further two goals in six appearances on Les Violets’ route to the final. These six goals were enough to see the former Dutch U21 international finish as the domestic cup competition’s top goalscorer finishing one ahead of Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappé.

Sceptics may argue that four of the Dutch striker’s goals came in big victories against lesser opposition. However, if you aren’t getting into positions you cannot score the goals and that is the core of Dallinga’s game. His intelligent runs and movement see him able to exploit gaps and spaces in defences. The striker doesn’t take an abundance of shots, averaging 2.5 per game during 2023, but is extremely efficient with the shots he takes, often finding the target or the back of the net.

Dallinga scored three braces in the Coupe de France, with two coming against Rodez and Lannion respectively in the earlier rounds of the competition. However, his most impressive brace came against Nantes in the final to help clinch the trophy and qualify for this season’s edition of the Europa League as a result.

Toulouse pulled off a historic 5-1 victory in the final against Les Canaris with Dallinga and Logan Costa both scoring braces. The Dutchman’s first goal of the afternoon was the epitome of his playing style. Playing off the shoulder of the last man, the Toulouse man escaped in behind the Nantes defence before lifting the ball over former Toulouse keeper Alban Lafont. The initial pass from Farès Chaïbi was exemplary but it wouldn’t have been possible without the archetypal movement from Dallinga.

Whilst the Dutchman’s second goal wasn’t as pretty as his first, it was still a true testament to his role as a traditional striker. Dallinga followed up Chaïbi’s shot which was parried away by Lafont and tapped the ball home in true poacher-like fashion. A stellar performance in the cup final from Dallinga announced himself to Europe as a name to watch out for and wrote his name in Toulouse folklore forever.

Dallinga gets European exposition

Fast-forward to the 2023/24 season and Dallinga has picked up where he left off last season. Still scoring goals domestically despite Toulouse’s struggles, a new experience for the former Excelsior striker has been playing in Europe for the first time. Whereas some players may have been fazed by playing in Europe, Dallinga has taken to the Europa League like a duck to water.

Toulouse were handed a tough Europa League group which included six-time Champions League winners Liverpool. Although Les Violets were convincingly beaten 5-1 at Anfield, Dallinga still managed to show his qualities to the rest of Europe as he once again broke through a high-line and one-on-one with Kelleher. His finish was exemplary.

Despite being embarrassed away at Anfield, Toulouse would exact revenge when Klopp’s team travelled to the south of France and Dallinga would once again have his say on proceedings. The 23-year-old was on the scoresheet once again turning home Sierro’s cross to aid Martinez’s men to a historic 3-2 victory in Europe. Two matches is only a small sample size but it indicates the level and quality that Dallinga is able to go toe-to-toe with. Undoubtedly, Liverpool didn’t field full-strength teams in either of those games but the Dutch international was sizing up Champions League winners and World Cup finalists, like Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate, and still able to get the better of him.

He is currently Toulouse’s shining light in what is likely to be a difficult season for them, but don’t be surprised to see some of Europe’s top sides move for Dallinga in 2024.

GFFN | Liam Wraith