Player of the day: Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen)

First Patrik Schick raised his left leg in a spectacular way, then he kept it straight in a cross with his right one – and finally he crowned the achievement with his head. In goal-scoring style, the Czech steered Bayer Leverkusen out of the autumn slump and finally bounced back after a long period of suffering.

“He’s a force in the box. “He doesn’t need too many chances,” praised team-mate Granit Xhaka, who was well aware that Schick needed “patience” recently. “But when you need him, he’s there.” And how – at the weekend, Schick transformed himself from a noble reserve into a renowned match-winner with his hat-trick against 1. FC Heidenheim.

The striker had struggled with adductor problems for months last year, followed by a lengthy layoff and layoff. In the final phase of the dual season and at the beginning of the new season, Schick barely managed to step out of Victor Boniface’s shadow. But Schick kept at it and scored twice in the cup against Elversberg and once in Bochum on the final day.

The Czech recently skipped the trip to the national team twice to get back into Leverkusen’s spotlight – successfully. Week after week the form improved. Now it’s “perfect, finally winning, with a hat trick,” Schick said – and he laughed, “it couldn’t be better.”