Bayer Leverkusen are currently Bayern Munich‘s closest challengers in the title race, and Florian Wirtz is once again a huge part of his side‘s imperious league form that has put them within touching distance of first place.

Wirtz's sublime solo goal in his side‘s most recent league win over Augsburg is now just one of many in what is already an incredible goal catalogue. Between last season and now, Wirtz has 17 Bundesliga goals in 46 games, and it‘s hard to think of one that hasn‘t had a touch of class to it.

Watch: Augsburg 0-2 Leverkusen - highlights

This season alone, he has 10 goals and assists already and his agility, fleet-footed nature, vision and composed finishing are once again causing Bundesliga defences problems, all of which coach Xabi Alonso is equally impressed by: "His control, his dribbling. It's not easy to do that in a small space…This player is a special player for us. We're happy that he's here and that he gives us this extra quality."

Having won the Bundesliga Player of the Season award in his side’s invincible title-winning campaign, Leverkusen fans are grateful that they can enjoy another season of Wirtz’s genius at the BayArena, as he chose to stay put rather than pay attention to potential suitors over the summer.

Watch: The best of Wirtz in 2024/25

About the players

10

Florian Richard

Wirtz

Bayer 04 Leverkusen

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Having not lost in 11 league games and with four consecutive wins, Leverkusen are in a very good position to be able to hunt down Bayern and retain their title, and now sit just four points away from the league leaders who have picked up just four points out of the last nine, with Matchday 14 ending in their first defeat of the season away to Mainz. Leverkusen, meanwhile, have been picking up points and Wirtz has been scoring goals, with two in his last two in the league. He is currently Leverkusen‘s joint top-scorer with six goals, as well as a further five in the UEFA Champions League and five assists across all competitions.

Four of his crosses from open play have led to goals - the most in the league - and Wirtz has been directly involved in 72 shots on goal, with 40 of those being his own and 32 being passes leading to shots - only Eintracht Frankfurt's Omar Marmoush has achieved more.

His fine form doesn‘t just consist of goals and assists though, as his off-the-ball work rate is also a big part of what makes him such a great player. He has won the most duels in the league and is third for most contested; he is also in the top five for sprints and intensive runs. His passing success rate of 85 percent is also impressive for a risk-taking attacking player. Wirtz’s all-round game is therefore vital to Leverkusen’s success, as acknowledged by managing director Simon Rolfes: "We want to be successful with him and use his qualities here”.

It's not just going forward where Wirtz is a handful, as he doesn't shy away from his defensive duties either. - Sebastian Widmann

Since making his debut for Die Werkself in May of 2020 against Werder Bremen, Wirtz has been a revelation, making 176 appearances in all competitions as well as establishing himself as one of the first names on the team sheet for the national team, racking up 29 caps and six goals since his debut against Liechtenstein in 2021. At Euro 2024, Wirtz's first major tournament, he topped off his eye-catching displays with two goals in Germany's five games, one of which was a thunderbolt just 10 minutes into the opening win against Scotland. 

Watch: The best of Germany's Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz

So far this season, Wirtz has once again shown us the multi-faceted nature of his game and why he is so special. His brilliant numbers are naturally the focus of our attention, but it is also his deft touch, fearless dribbling and consistent hunger to win that have also helped drive Leverkusen to so many victories. The value of his relentless tracking back and strength in the tackle can’t be quantified, but they are certainly appreciated, and will hopefully be gracing the Bundesliga for years to come.

Right now, his star quality is driving Leverkusen toward another title push, one that will be much more difficult this season with Bayern in the driving seat.

About the clubs

Bayer 04 Leverkusen

BayArena