Leipzig trim Bayern’s lead, Dortmund drub Schalke
BERLIN: RB Leipzig swept past Hertha Berlin with a 3-0 away win on Sunday to cut Bayern Munich’s lead at the top of the Bundesliga table to just two points.
Leipzig capitalised on Bayern’s 2-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt 24 hours earlier.
A long-range goal by captain Marcel Sabitzer gave second-placed Leipzig a first-half lead in Berlin.
Then a superb second-half strike by defender Nordi Mukiele and header from burly centre-back Willi Orban sealed the win.
Leipzig bounced back from their mid week defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League with a clinical display to keep the pressure on Bayern.
Sabitzer struck behind closed doors at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium when his shot from 30 metres crashed in off the crossbar on 28 minutes.
Ater US midfielder Tyler Adams robbed Mateo Guendouzi of possession in Hertha’s penalty area, Mukiele smashed home Leipzig’s second goal on 71 minutes. Orban headed home Sabitzer’s cross six minutes from time to seal Leipzig’s fourth straight league win. In contrast, Hertha are winless in their last eight league games.
They are 15th in the table, but only goal difference keeps Hertha out of the relegation places as they are equal on 18 points with Arminia Bielefeld.
Earlier, hosts Augsburg were denied a first win over Bayer Leverkusen at the 20th atempt by a last-gasp equaliser from Burkina Faso defender Edmond Tapsoba as the visitors snatched a 1-1 draw.
Augsburg were 1-0 up at home deep into added time when Leverkusen defender Tapsoba was let unmarked to convert a cross seconds before the whistle. Leverkusen needed the late equaliser because their back-up goalkeeper Niklas Lomb had gited Augsburg an early freak goal.
Five minutes into his first league start this season, Lomb completely mistimed his clearance kick.
The ball rolled to Augsburg striker Florian Niederlechner, who tapped the ball into the empty net.
Visitors Borussia Dortmund crushed Schalke 4-0 in their Ruhr valley derby on Saturday, with two goals from Erling Haaland, to earn their first win in three league matches and a big shot of confidence in their batle for a top-four finish.
Dortmund, who have won two of their last seven league matches and are at risk of missing out on Champions League football next season, struck twice before haltime.
Jadon Sancho pounced on a Benjamin Stambouli mistake to race through and score in the 42nd minute, for the 20-year-old’s 35th goal in his Bundesliga career, making him the youngest player ever to reach that mark in the league.