Believe it or not, Xavi Simons' first Champions League goal for RB Leipzig in their Group G clash against Red Star Belgrade was a screamer. Surprised? No, us neither.
The 20-year-old midfielder, who joined the Bundesliga outfit this summer on a season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain, has made an instant impact at the Red Bull Arena.
And on Wednesday night, after David Raum handed the home side an early lead, the Barcelona youth product scored arguably the goal of the evening to give Marco Rose's side a two-goal cushion.
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After inviting the Belgrade defender to make a challenge, Simons breezes past him before beating goalkeeper Omri Glazer with a wonderful side-footed effort from range.
Check it out below. How good is this?
Leipzig would go on to pick up their second Champions League win of the 2023/24 campaign but it was Simons' effort that grabbed the headlines.
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The youngster has plenty of admirers, including Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel, who recently praised the Netherlands international as he continues to be linked with a big-money move.
“I had him [at PSG] as a very young youth player and it was clear that he had a lot of potential,” Tuchel said. “[Simons] made it to the national team through the Dutch league.
“He is having a very good phase. He has a clear position, which is helping him. He is technically strong, calm on the ball, and good in front of goal. We have to make sure we stop him”
Simons was, of course, thrust into the limelight at an early age. He graduated through the La Masia academy and was tipped as Barcelona's next big star after impressing in their youth teams.
But to the surprise of many, he decided to pen a €1 million per-year deal at Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain in 2019.
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Back in July, he left PSV Eindhoven to complete a move back to PSG.
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Featured Image Credit: X/@footballontntTopics: Xavi Simons, RB Leipzig, Champions League, Bundesliga
