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bundesliga

Is sizzling Benjamin Šeško the solution to RB Leipzig's scoring issue?

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Benjamin Šeško has smashed back-to-back braces against Augsburg and Juventus. Could his hot streak propel RB Leipzig forward in the race to top the Bundesliga?

Šeško managed in the space of 35 minutes of an October evening in Leipzig to twice do what the combined forces of Napoli, Roma, Como, Verona and Empoli could not manage in 450 minutes of football. His UEFA Champions League brace came against a steely Juventus side that were yet to concede a goal in Serie A in 2024/25 and had let in just one goal in Europe.

That Šeško's superb striking failed to attract significant fuss is a sign of just how far his star has risen. Having also netted a brace against Augsburg in a 4-0 win on Matchday 5, his red-hot form seems to be coming at a perfect time for Marco Rose's side.

Watch: Šeško nets twice in win over Augsburg

The fact that Leipzig go into their Matchday 6 encounter in Heidenheim on a club-record 16 matches unbeaten in the Bundesliga, which included ending Leverkusen's long unbeaten record, is fuel for those who see the club capable of great things this season.

A pair of recent goalless draws against Union Berlin and St. Pauli created a general consensus, however, that for the team to develop to the next level and mount a serious title challenge, they need dependable strike power.

Step forward, Benjamin Šeško! Scoring in seven consecutive Bundesliga matches at the end of last season just showed how unstoppable the super Slovenina striker can be when he gets going.

Watch: The best of Šeško in 2024/25

What is particularly impressive about the 21-year-old's latest goal glut is how it has showcased the full range of his classy finishing ability. Šeško's opener against Augsburg was a crisp drive from outside the box, his second an unstoppable header, while his first goal against Juventus combined a dream first touch with a deadly smash on the bounce and his second on the night a perfect penalty. 

Given the creative talents of attacking team-mates like Xavi and Loïs Openda, there is every reason why a confident Šeško can deliver decisive moments in future tight encounters. 

Šeško's Slovenian national coach Matjaž Kek has praised the striker for attracting young people to football. - IMAGO/Eibner-Pressefoto/EXPA/slo

There is a simplicity and single-mindleness about the way Šeško hunts goals, with the striker saying after his display in Augsburg: "I said to Loïs [Openda] that we should stay near one another and I told David [Raum] that he should get some crosses in."

There is unmistakable confidence too as he said: "There are a lot of matches still to play, and I will score even more goals than I did last season." That echoes the determination he expressed in a recent interview with bundesliga.com when saying: "I think every striker wants to keep improving. I’m working on that."

Šeško's total for 2023/24 was 14 goals, but should his hot streak continue, he should make light work of that. Time will tell if that is indeed the case and just how far he might propel Leipzig in the developing campaign.