It took 12 clinical seconds for the ball to leave the feet of RB Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi's feet and end up in the net thanks to a moment of ruthless control and clinical finishing from Timo Werner, one of the three Bundesliga players Chelsea fans are unable to take their eyes off.
Leading 2-1 away to Cologne early in the second half, Gulacsi's long delivery after claiming a cross from his left was taken down seamlessly by Werner, who then raced clear and sent a cool right-footed finish past the helpless home goalkeeper Timo Horn.
Yet the truth is that up until that point the 24-year-old, who continues to be monitored by the Blues among many others, was subdued.
He had an early shot saved by Horn but then spent a lot of time dropping deep or running out wide but more often than not remaining on the periphery of an exciting game that eventually finished 4-2 to Julian Nagelsmann's side.
Besides the coronavirus enforced break he has not quite hit the same heights in 2020 as he had done before Christmas.
The numbers remain impressive and the hat-trick away to a ragged, defensively porous Mainz nine days previous was impressive standing alone.
But Werner's relative dip mirrors a lethargy to Leipzig since their title hopes faded and a heated top four battle developed.
They are back into third with last night's win but it remains so tight with one of Leipzig, Dortmund, Leverkusen and Monchengladbach to miss out.
Werner also maintains slim hopes of catchigng Bayern's Robert Lewandowski for the top scorer award, trailing the Pole 29-25 following last night's strike.
In terms of overall performance levels since the Bundesliga resumed, there have been a cluster of players more impressive than Werner but there could be a number of factors for that and it is promising that while not at his electric best one of the most wanted players on the continent is still finding the net.
