The Japan Times - 'Well-oiled' Leipzig humming along in Bayern's slipstream

Leipzig travel to Hoffenheim on Saturday in second spot, five behind league leaders Bayern.

Thumped 6-0 by Bayern in the season opener in Munich, Leipzig have since claimed 22 of a possible 24 points.

Without European football this season, Leipzig have had the time to bed in their new recruits.

Having lost big names like Xavi Simons, Benjamin Sesko and Lois Openda in the summer, the Red Bull-owned club brought in more than a dozen young talents.

Coach Ole Werner was brought in from Werder Bremen in the summer, after Red Bull football boss Jurgen Klopp sacked former manager and friend Marco Rose.

"The short duration it took for the team to come together as a team on the pitch is a bit surprising," RB Leipzig CEO Johann Plenge told AFP and other reporters on Thursday.

"I think it's remarkable how the team managed this loss on the first matchday," Plenge said, but added "it helped them get closer together in the locker room".

"By winning more and more, the team has become more confident.

"The coach is already quite confident. And I think it's becoming a well-oiled machine."

The standout new arrival is 18-year-old Yan Diomande.

Signed for 20 million euros ($23 million) after just six months at Leganes, the Ivorian has contributed two goals and three assists in his past two matches.

"We already knew that he was a top talent and that he had a strong mindset," Plenge said.

"(But) we were surprised that it only took a couple of matchdays to bring this immediately onto the pitch."

Plenge said Diomande would become "one of the faces of our club in the upcoming seasons."

One to watch: Victor Boniface (Werder Bremen)

A last-minute loan signing from Bayer Leverkusen, Nigeria striker Victor Boniface is still finding his feet at Werder Bremen.

Boniface created a goal six minutes after coming off the bench in his first Bremen match but since then has not registered a goal or assist.

The 24-year-old, who contributed 14 goals and nine assists in 23 league games as Leverkusen won the title in 2023-24, said his contributions were more than goals or assists.

Speaking with AFP and other media on Tuesday, Boniface said "when you score, bam, you're Ronaldinho, but people don't watch the games.

"I'm new to the club, I'm new to the city. I'm getting used to this. Sometimes you come to a club and you just click.

"People are focusing on who hasn't scored, but if you watch the game, you can see what I contributed to the team."

Key stats

27 - With nine wins from nine, Bayern have claimed 27 points from 27. Only once has this happened before when Bayern won ten under Pep Guardiola in 2015-2016.

12 - Harry Kane has 12 goals in nine games so far this season. Eintracht Frankfurt's Jonathan Burkardt is next best, with six.

6 - St Pauli have lost six games in a row.

Fixtures (1430 GMT unless stated)

Friday

Werder Bremen v Wolfsburg (1930)

Saturday

Hoffenheim v RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen v Heidenheim, Hamburg v Borussia Dortmund, Union Berlin v Bayern Munich, Borussia Moenchengladbach v Cologne (1730)

Sunday

Freiburg v St Pauli, Stuttgart v Augsburg (1630), Eintracht Frankfurt v Mainz (1830)

K.Yamaguchi--JT