Xavi Simons' return ignites renewed ambitions for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga

The Dutch international is unquestionably Marco Rose's most important player at RB Leipzig and he didn't waste anytime in reminding everyone of that fact on Sunday.

It took Xavi Simons just 23 minutes to get back into the swing of things in the Bundesliga. After a difficult tussle with Werder Bremen for control of the match, the home side took the lead when a throw-in from the left flank allowed Louis Openda to head the ball down the middle of the pitch and into the path of the on-running Dutchman.

Over the course of seven or eight strides, Simons made it abundantly clear why Leipzig had desperately missed their star No.10 in the first half of the season. Unlike Benjamin Sesko, who would perhaps sprint into the box a little too quickly, or Openda, who would likely have powered a shot over the crossbar, Simons instead slowed down as Bremen’s defence closed in around him and comfortably slotted a well-placed shot into the bottom left corner of the net. Then he did it again.

Just 12 minutes later - and after an equally impressive Bremen equaliser from Mitchell Weiser - Simons picked the ball up on the half-way line and duly set about walking through the opposing defence. After cutting off the aforementioned Bremen defender’s attempts at an interception, Simons then glided by Marco Friedl with minimal fuss, before tucking the ball into the back of the net with another well-placed shot on the edge of the box.

Of course, there was a remarkable amount of skill that went into both goals. After all, the very best footballers have to work hard to make things look so easy. But the defining factors in Simons’ interventions on Sunday afternoon were composure and confidence. And few could deny that Leipzig’s troubles this season have largely been down to a complete lack of either of those things up until now.