bundesliga

Timo Werner brace sees leaders RB Leipzig come from behind to beat Union Berlin

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Timo Werner's second-half brace helped Bundesliga leaders RB Leipzig come from behind at home to Union Berlin and extend their advantage at the top of the table.

RB Leipzig 3-1 Union Berlin
Goals: 0-1 Bülter (10'), 1-1 Werner (51'), 2-1 Sabitzer (57'), 3-1 Werner (83')

Union were inside 10 minutes after Leipzig gave the ball away in midfield. Sebastian Andersson was able to skip past the challenge of Lukas Klostermann before picking out Marius Bülter to his left, who slotted the ball home off the inside of the near post. Christian Gentner then had a half chance with a header on the quarter-hour mark, but that turned out to be the promoted club's last chance of the half as Julian Nagelsmann’s side took control. Patrik Schick was first denied by Rafal Gikiewicz in goal before Dayot Upamecano got in the way of his own man’s effort at the far post to prevent Klostermann from tapping in. Werner was then unable to get a header past the on-rushing goalkeeper while Nordi Mukiele flashed an effort across goal, but there was no way past the promoted side.

It took Leipzig just six minutes to right that wrong, though, when Werner fired home a thunderous half-volley from the edge of the box into the top corner after Bülter’s attempted clearance for his 19th goal of the season, moving him level with Robert Lewandowski at the top of the scoring chart before Bayern Munich’s match at Hertha Berlin on Sunday. Moments later, Die Roten Bullen took the lead through their captain for the night Marcel Sabitzer, turning home from just a few yards after Upamecano’s towering header at a corner. Werner then took the outright lead in the scoring standings when he latched onto Sabitzer's deep cross from the right and drilled it beyond Gikiewicz to wrap up the three points for the league leaders.

Match stats

  • Werner moved beyond Lewandowski at the top of the scoring charts on 20 goals, which is already four more than he managed in the whole of last season. His personal best in the top flight is 21 from 2016/17.
  • Sabitzer has been involved in six of Leipzig’s seven goals against Union this season, scoring two and assisting four more. The Austrian has now scored in both games where he’s captained the team from the start.
  • Leipzig are the first team in Bundesliga history to score at least three goals in nine consecutive games within a single season.
  • Leipzig are unbeaten in their 14 Bundesliga matches against promoted clubs (W12, D2). No team in top-flight history has faced a newcomer so often without tasting defeat.
  • Die Roten Bullen came from behind to claim points for the sixth time this season – a league best – earning three wins and draws apiece.
  • Bülter’s goal was his fourth of the season but his first away from home in the Bundesliga.

Watch: Leipzig's Tyler Adams: "We absolutely want the title"

Line-ups

Leipzig: Gulacsi – Mukiele, Klostermann, Upamecano, Halstenberg – Sabitzer (c), Adams (Ilsanker 86'), Laimer, Nkunku (Haidara 79’) – Schick (Poulsen 68’), Werner
Unused subs: Mvogo, Lookman, Wolf, Ampadu, Hartmann, Krauß
Out: Cunha (international duty), Forsberg (cold), Kampl (ankle), Konate (hamstring), Orban
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann 

Union: Gikiewicz – Freidrich (c), Subotic, Parensen (Polter 82') – Ryerson, Gentner, Andrich, Lenz – Ingvartsen (Malli 71’), Bülter – Andersson (Ujah 75’)
Unused subs: Busk, Reichel, Flecker, Malli, Hübner, Kroos, Becker
Out: Abdullahi (match fitness), Becker (knock), Gogia (torn ACL), Mees (thigh), Schmiedebach (muscular), Trimmel (cold)
Coach: 
Urs Fischer