"He makes things fun" - RB Leipzig hail comeback kid Xavi
As he took stock on a spectacular, scoring return to on-field action, RB Leipzig attacker Xavi Simons told bundesliga.com, "This is my life, this is why I'm here," with the talented 21-year-old impressing in the Bundesliga once again.
The last time the Dutch ace took to the pitch in Germany's top division, he also found the net in a 2-0 away win at Mainz on 19 October. Back then, Xavi couldn't have imagined he'd soon spend the next three months recovering from an ankle injury that would see him miss 15 games for club and country.
It was thus with a beaming smile that the Amsterdam native took to the pre-match warm-up for Sunday's Matchday 16 encounter against Werder Bremen, Xavi learning he would be back in Marco Rose's starting XI for a vital date in Leipzig's calendar.
In his 65 minutes of action, the Netherlands international wowed the home fans at the Red Bull Arena, scoring an impressive, first-half double and making his presence felt on and off the ball.
Watch: Xavi - "This is why I'm here"
Further goals from Benjamin Šeško - who netted with a long-range power drive to the top corner - and Christoph Baumgartner helped Leipzig put memories of a heavy defeat against Bayern Munich at the end of 2024 behind them. Along with lifting morale, the 4-2 victory against Werder also eased the Saxony-based side into fourth place in the standings, with Xavi and his teammates positively beaming as a result.
"I'm really happy to be back and to be back with the team," the Paris-Saint Germain loanee said afterwards. "Of course, scoring two goals, I'm really happy for myself. It was a day to come back onto the pitch and to do what I love alongside my teammates," Xavi continued. "This is my life, this is why I'm here."
Watch: Šeško delights in Xavi's return
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Asked about Jürgen Klopp's presence at the game - the coaching great in attendance at the Red Bull Arena in his new advisory role - Xavi said, "Of course, he's a big legend. Everybody knows Jürgen Klopp. We're really happy that he's here with us. We are young guys and even those with experience can learn a lot from him."
Leipzig's players will have been learning a lot from Xavi, too, with the versatile attacker scoring a first Bundesliga brace in his 40th appearance in the division. Incredibly, despite his injury woes, Xavi now has six goal involvements (four goals, two assists) in just eight top-tier games this term and can now boast 12 Bundesliga career goals in total.
"It's nice to see him back on the pitch again," Šeško told bundesliga.com when asked about his Dutch colleague. "I love to play with him; he makes things fun. I'm really happy for his two goals because now he is going to have even more confidence."
Watch: Xavi stars in Leipzig victory
That confidence will stand Leipzig in good stead ahead of a busy New Year period that continues on Wednesday with a trip to seventh-placed Stuttgart.
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