By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- RB Leipzig's goals have been clearly stated in advance of their last challenge in Group G of the Champions League against the French side of Olympique Lyon. Nothing less first place in the group and the 2.7 million Euros bonus offered by UEFA is what the prospering East-German team is aiming at this Tuesday evening.
For a good reason, the club's ambitions currently seem to know no borders.
No other name embodies Rasenballsport's enchanting upswing more than striker Timo Werner. Having scored his 15th league goal, the forward is on his way to new heights.
Werner is only the fourth German international having scored 15 goals after 14 rounds of matches in the Bundesliga's 56-year history.
Pundits see the 23-year-old in the footsteps of the country's striker legend Gerd Mueller. The media call the Leipzig forward the best German striker.
His goals not only secured Leipzig's first participation in the Champions League's knock-out stage, but he is keeping his club's title hopes alive with Leipzig only one point behind leaders Borussia Moenchengladbach.
He is responsible for nearly half of the clubs' 39 league goals, having delivered 6 assists aside from his goals.
Werner has developed to a severe rival of Bayern Munich's spearhead Robert Lewandowski (16 goals plus two assists) when it comes to the top scorer crown.
According to the sports-magazine Kicker, transfer valuations have the blonde youngster reached the same level as the Pole.
Media reports speak of Werner as the thorn in the flesh of the Bavarians. Bayern's sports director Hasan Salihamidzic canceled a possible move of Werner, who was ready to join Bayern last summer for the bargain price of 25 million Euros.
He has meanwhile signed a new contract with Leipzig until 2023 including an exit-clause of an unknown quantity. Reports speak of 30 to 60 million Euros.
Werner makes Nagelsmann dream of a duel against the Spanish giant FC Barcelona. "It remains a dream to coach my team in the Camp Nou," the 32-year-old coach commented, adding: "The question is if this is a great idea to already meet in the last-16-round."
Werner's upswing is strongly connected to Nagelsmann's smart choice to pull back the striker from the front line and the opponent's center-backs to give him more space to play out his speed abilities.
The Leipzig coach is convinced his striking gem hasn't yet reached his best. "There is still space for further improvement. And he is going to do it," Nagelsmann emphasized.
The RB manager has developed a profitable strategy to trigger Werner's motivation. The so-called sandwich-pattern includes compliments followed by constructive criticism on how to improve and more compliments.
Gaining further consistency, Werner could well turn up in the shirt of one of Europe's international top dogs in the upcoming years.
