Timo Werner is set to become a Chelsea player

Bundesliga talking points: Chelsea-bound Timo Werner's performance assessed as RB Leipzig strengthen Champions League spot

By Sporting Life

Football

Sat June 13, 2020 · 5y ago

RB Leipzig strengthened their top four claims with a 2-0 win at Hoffenheim as Timo Werner drew a rare blank as he reportedly prepares to seal his move to Chelsea.

The 24-year-old German international will reportedly be announced as a future Chelsea player over the weekend, but did not manage to find the target for his current club despite a lively enough game.

Although Werner didn't score, Leipzig's victory strengthened their position in third and the bookies believe they've already done enough to finish in the top four, as they're now 1/100 to finish in the Champions League places.

Werner did make one glaring miss just before half time when he blazed high over the ball when clean through on Oliver Baumann in the Hoffenheim goal.

Werner was still heavily involved with lively three shots, two of them on target (the same as goalscorer Dani Olmo) with four key passes and three dribbles both leading the team in the game.

Chelsea jumped in when Liverpool decided they did not want to pay the release clause in Werner's Leipzig contract, and the Bundesliga outfit were in no mood to haggle over the fee for their star man.

With Werner now seemingly counting down the games until he leaves Leipzig, his side are still in the Champions League, and also now have a strong position in the race to qualify for next season's competition by finishing in the top four.

Leipzig well-fancied for top four

Julian Nagelsmann, the talented young coach he joined Leipzig from Hoffenheim, will have been proud and impressed with how both of these sides played, with his former team more than holding their own.

Hoffenheim fired in 24 shots to Leipzig's 15, while they also just edged the possession battle, but were sliced open by Leipzig's superior finishing ability.

Leipzig are now four points clear in third place, with fourth-placed Monchengladbach having to play at Bayern Munich on Saturday evening - when Leipzig's position could be strengthened even further.

Bundesliga without Bayern odds

4/9 Dortmund
13/8 Leipzig
150/1 Leverkusen

Click here for the Sky Bet market

They're now more likely to be looking up than down as they're just a point behind second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who do have a game in hand to play on Saturday against struggling Fortuna Dusseldorf.

Leipzig do play Dortmund in the run-in though, so despite Dortmund being big favourites to bag the runners-up spot there's still a half-chance for Nagelsmann's side.

Werner may yet be able to sign off in style.

Can Werner make Chelsea contenders?

We debate the current goings on at Stamford Bridge under Frank Lampard

Chelsea are already one of the busiest clubs in the transfer window in preparation for next season. They have already added Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner looks set to follow.

Leicester and England defender Ben Chilwell and Germany wonderkid Kai Havertz have also been linked in recent days, while it has been reported that Frank Lampard also wants a world-class centre-back.

The way the Blues are going, with Roman Abramovich's support, can they compete for silverware next season?

Our team debate whether the five-time Premier League champions will be ready to rival Liverpool, Man City and the rest of Europe.

Click here for the full story

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