Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen broke out the #SaltBae celebration on Sunday and it was beautiful

Published Jan. 22, 2017 5:02 p.m. ET

Aaron West

Bayer Leverkusen beat Hertha Berlin 3-1 on Sunday, and that's important. It was three points they needed to stay within grasping distance of Champions League qualification, and a big confidence boost after only picking up five points in their last six matches.

Wins are good and all, but it's really celebrations that move the meter in this game, and Leverkusen didn't let us down. Turkish center-back Omer Toprak poked home a rebound in the 12th minute to open the scoring, and then lead his teammates in the ultimate meme celebration.

https://twitter.com/FOXSoccer/status/823190578871439360

That's an ode to Turkish chef Nusret Gökce, better known as #SaltBae. The impossibly cool chef set the internets on fire early in the year with his impeccable knife skills, sensual treatment of the meat he cooks, and for ... here, it's better if you see for yourself.

https://twitter.com/nusr_ett/status/817729105512857601

That sprinkle, though.

The sprinkle is what really sets Nusret apart. The knife skills are sensational, the cuts of meat he whips up look delectable, but that salt sprinkle? The stuff of instant superstardom.

Fellow Turks Toprak and Hakan Calhanoglu lead the #SaltBae ode for Leverkusen, and given its popularity, maybe we'll see them break it out a couple more times this year.

We can only hope.

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