Tight pair Sabitzer, Werner lift Leipzig to new heights

Werner, Leipzig's fastest player, has 88 goals and 39 assists in 150 games, while Sabitzer turned from an overambitious lone wolf to a true team leader. The Leipzig captain became the first Austrian to score two goals in a Champions League game.

Both Werner and Sabitzer have scored four goals in the 2019-2020 campaign. Football magazine Kicker named the Austrian the Bundesliga's best midfielder ahead of Leverkusen's Kai Havertz and Dortmund's Marco Reus.

"I have learned to not only see my goals. To gain success with a team, you need to develop an empathic view," Sabitzer said, adding: "In the past, it might have been one of my problems to press the right button trying to tease out determination from my teammates."

His former coaches Ralf Rangnick and Ralph Hasenhuettl (Southampton) praise his development as much as Nagelsmann does.

"It couldn't have been better," Rangnick underlined while Hasenhuettl said: "Every coach would like to have him in his team because he never disappears in tight games."

Nagelsmann calls Sabitzer "an irresistible ball conqueror" and an "irreplaceable leader." The Austrian has started in 34 of Leipzig's 36 games this season. His most potent weapon, aside from his strong will, is his versatility as he is of value as a 6, 8, and 10.

Under Nagelsmann, it's not only Sabitzer who has managed to take the next step, but Werner too. In the second leg against Tottenham, the Stuttgart-born striker might not have scored (following his winning goal in London) but he opened spaces for his teammates with smart movement up front.