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bundesliga

"He makes things fun" - Xavi brings hope to Leipzig after signing permanent deal

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RB Leipzig star playmaker Xavi made a spectacular return to Bundesliga action after an ankle injury sidelined him for months. Making his loan deal permanent in the January transfer window gives the club renewed confidence as they ready a push for the top four.

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When Xavi took to the pitch and found the net in a 2-0 away win at Mainz on 19 October, he 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 drive into 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 temporarily hoisted 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," said Simons, who has made his loan move from Paris-Saint Germain permanent. "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 at Xavi's return 

A first Bundesliga brace in his 40th appearance under the watchful eyes of Jürgen Klopp - with the coaching great in attendance at the Red Bull Arena in his new advisory role - capped a dream injury comeback. Few could dispute the attacking livewire did not deserve that boost after contributing so many memorable moments in the league already, including two Bundesliga Goal of the Month accolades in his first season in 2023/24.

Naturally enough for a massive creative talent, the happiest people of all to see Xavi back in action were his Leipzig team-mates.
 
"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 vs. Bremen

The attacking midfield maestro showed just how effectively he can pull the strings for Šeško in laying on an assist for the Slovenian striker in the opening minutes of Leipzig's next encounter - in Stuttgart on Matchday 17.

A 2-1 defeat in that and 3-3 draw in a rollercoaster in Bochum proved that for all his powers, Xavi's return was not likely to single-handedly solve issues with Leipzig's indifferent form. He proved his worth once more though in helping to inspire a battling comeback in a 2-2 draw with title-chasing Bayer Leverkusen on Matchday 19.

The 10.9 km (6.8 miles) that the 21-year-old covered on that afternoon was the most of his side, while it was his delightfully curled free-kick into the box that was accidentally headed by Edmond Tapsoba into the Leverkusen net to equalise in the 85th minute - and deny the champions a win for the first time in nine Bundesliga matches.

Watch: Leipzig battle back to hold Leverkusen

It was no secret that Leipzig would have liked to have turned Xavi's loan from PSG into a permanent transfer as soon as he began gracing the Bundesliga in 2023/24. As many as 19 goal involvements in his 32 appearances in his first season in Germany (with eight goals and 11 assists) led to the parties extending the loan arrangement for the current campaign.

At the end of January, a fortnight after his cracking comeback, the ink was dried on a major coup for the club as Xavi has committed to a permanent deal running until June 2027

The player outlined what the next steps for him would be after clarifying his future, saying: "Qualifying for the Champions League for the seventh straight season, and reaching the DFB Cup final in Berlin – those are the only things that matter right now!”

Leipzig will need their attacking master to keep producing the goods, after all, as they go into a Matchday 20 encounter at Union Berlin just outside the top four - behind Stuttgart on goal difference. A DFB Cup quarter-final at home to Wolfsburg at the end of February will be the next step towards potentially claiming that trophy for the third time. 

Leipzig's delighted sporting director, Marcel Schäfer, said: "We now hold all the trump cards".