Werner: Leipzig's Lightning in a Bottle

In an otherwise uneventful Bundesliga Rückrunde opening weekend, RB Leipzig provided the fireworks to kick off the schedule. While Leipzig's 3-1 victory over Schalke could hardly be considered an upset, it was the manner in which it sped past Schalke that made Leipzig's effort so impressive.

Leipzig manager Ralph Hasenhüttl inserted the explosive Timo Werner into the contest at the 63rd minute mark and Werner did nothing but put forth an explosive performance in tallying a goal and an assist to help Leipzig capture the victory.

Werner's 69th minute tally was nothing short of brilliant and could be the spark that once again makes Leipzig the biggest threat to Bayern Munich's league dominance with its youthful exuberance.

Werner's potential cannot be denied, but it is safe to say that he has not lived up to the lofty expectations put upon him by the German media this season. Werner seems to embrace the big stage and it will be interesting to see him this summer in the World Cup surrounded by playmaking talents like Thomas Müller, Toni Kroos, Mesut Özil, Leroy Sane, Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich, and Julian Draxler among other others.

For its part, Schalke has been one of the most consistent teams in the Bundesliga this season, but is currently mired in the Goretzka "should he stay or should he go" controversy, which could create enough stir to disrupt Schalke's second half - at least until Goretzka makes his decision on where his future will be. With suitors such as Bayern Munich and Barcelona, it could easily be suggested that re-signing with Schalke would be considered a long shot at this point.

Other Bundesliga notes:

- Borussia Dortmund continued its uneven play against Wolfsburg, albeit without offensive stalwarts Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (suspension) and American International Christian Pulisic (injury). The Aubameyang situation is dicey for Dortmund. Unless the flighty striker makes a decision on whether to commit to Dortmund or to keep toying publicly with a potential exit, he'll continue to draw the ire of the Dortmund executives.

- Bayern Munich turned in a solid, if not clinical, effort against feisty Bayer Leverkusen. The Reds used goals from Javi Martinez, Franck Ribery, and James Rodriguez to pull away from Leverkusen. Leverkusen did not go away easily, but Bayern continues to look more and more sharp under Jupp Heynckes. Even more impressive is that Bayern was without top gun Robert Lewandowski, who is being afforded ample time to mend his patella injury.

- VfB Stuttgart celebrated the return of Mario Gomez with a 1-0 victory over Hertha BSC Berlin

after an 8.5 year hiatus by Gomez. The German striker had a few quality chances and ultimately created enough chaos to help force an own goal and secure a Stuttgart victory. No doubt, Gomez is going to amp up his performance in hopes of showing Jogi Löw enough to secure a spot on the World Cup roster. Interestingly enough, Gomez may be competing with Bayern-signee Sandro Wagner for a coveted spot as reserve striker (assuming Werner fills the starting role).

- FC Koln provided the surprise of the weekend by upending Borussia Monchengladbach on Simon Terodde's stoppage time winner. In a season without many highlights for the Billy Goats, Koln will the victory and run with it.

#soccer #Leipzig #Bundesliga #BayernMunich