Bundesliga
There can be fewer wider smiles in the Bundesliga right now than Jonathan Burkardt's, with the Eintracht Frankfurt forward's recent double-double for the Eagles signalling a striker in supreme form.
Never has the former Mainz star made a better start to a Bundesliga season than now, his six goals in the season's first eight games a new personal best.
Recent back-to-back goalscoring doubles in Germany's top flight was also a first for the 25-year-old. What's more, with a further three goals in his maiden season in the UEFA Champions League, Burkardt might just be the hottest German striker around.
His brace in the 2-0 victory against St. Pauli on Saturday highlighted the Darmstadt native's forward-thinking talents. An opportunistic finish following a fumble by goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj put the Eagles ahead. Subsequently controlling Farès Chaïbi's centre before displaying plenty of strength and a clever finish left the visitors with no chance of a comeback.
Watch: Burkardt nets a double against St. Pauli
"The first one was a typical Jonny goal; he was lurking," a delighted Dino Toppmöller explained after the game. "For his second, he kept his composure to control the ball and had the class to wait for it to drop and then calmly slot it in."
Burkardt, meanwhile, typically foisted the praise onto his teammate Chaïbi. "The pass over the defender for the second goal was world class, it came straight to me," he enthused.
With eight goals in his last eight competitive games for Die Adler, things are working out perfectly for Burkardt at his new side. Becoming a household name and a Germany international during a superb - if at times injury troubled - seven senior seasons at Mainz, the 05ers are clearly missing their former influential captain and goal-getter this term.
Watch: Burkardt's brace against Freiburg
However, as Eintracht's board member for sport Markus Krösche explained, Mainz's loss is Frankfurt's gain. "With his intensity, speed and finishing ability, he’s a perfect fit for us. He’s settled in very well and he’s an important part of the team.”
And how that team loves a forward. Following in the footsteps of the likes of former Eagles' striking heroes such as Luka Jović, Sébastien Haller, André Silva, Randal Kolo Muani, Omar Marmoush and Hugo Ekitiké, Burkardt is the latest Eintracht frontman to light up the Deutsche Bank Park with his pace and goals.
On signing for Eintracht last July, the team's newest No. 9 explained, "It was important to me for a club to come and show that they really wanted me; I was impressed with the management’s efforts to sign me."
Insisting in the summer that he wanted to, "Try and maintain my goals tally by being dangerous in the box and in the final third [while] giving everything I’ve got in all areas of the game to become the best footballer I can be," Burkardt has been true to his word.
In fact, a certain Julian Nagelsmann has been equally as impressed with the Germany striker's form, not only giving the one-time UEFA European U21 Champion his senior bow in a UEFA Nations League win against Bosnia last year, but continuing to use him in the most recent FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
With next summer's World Cup finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada edging ever closer, Germany's current top goalscorer in the Bundesliga has all the motivation he needs to maintain his superb form for Eintracht.