Brilliant Werner hat trick helps Leipzig outclass Mainz
berlin — Timo Werner scored a hat trick as RB Leipzig demolished hosts Mainz 05 5-0 on Sunday to reclaim third place in the Bundesliga with an emphatic victory after three straight draws.
Germany international Werner, a target for several top European clubs this summer, opened his ac- count in the 11th minute and Yus- suf Poulsen nodded in the second goal in the 23rd.
Marcel Sabitzer killed off the game before the break, flicking in from close range as Mainz collapsed.
Werner scored again three minutes after the restart and he chipped the ball over keeper Florian Mueller in the 75th for his 24th goal of the season and 91st in all competitions for Leipzig to become their all-time top scorer.
Leipzig moved back into third on 54, one place ahead of Bayer Leverkusen and two clear of Borussia
Moenchengladbach.
Earlier, Schalke 04 slumped to a shock 3-0 home loss to relegationthreatened Augsburg on Sunday, their fourth defeat in five games dropping them to eighth place in the Bundesliga.
The defeat piled more pressure on coach David Wagner, whose team have scored only two goals in their last nine games.
The Bundesliga became the first major sports league to resume last week, with no fans in attendance, after being suspended for more than two months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Schalke, now without a win in nine league games, slipped down to eighth place on 37 points while Augsburg’s first victory after four straight losses lifted them to 12th on 30, seven above the relegation playoff spot. Bayern Munich lead the standings with 61 points, four ahead of Borussia Dortmund whom they face on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Heiko Herrlich enjoyed a perfect first Bundesliga game on the touchline as Augsburg coach on Sunday, a week after he missed their loss to Wolfsburg after breaking quarantine rules to buy toothpaste.
Eduard Loewen, Noah Sarenren Bazee and Sergio Cordova scored as Augsburg moved seven points clear of the relegation play-off place. This was the ninth away win in the 16 Bundesliga matches.
The 48-year-old Herrlich apologised to his squad after breaking a week-long quarantine by leaving the team hotel — to buy toothpaste and skin cream — before the Wolfsburg match last weekend.
With Herrlich back in charge, Augsburg enjoyed their first win in seven league games.
Having been as high as third last December, Schalke are now winless in their last nine league games, including last Saturday’s 4-0 drubbing at Borussia Dortmund.
Loewen gave the visitors the lead in the fifth minute with a superb free-kick which flew into the top corner from 30 metres out at a near-empty Veltins Arena.Augsburg doubled their lead 14 minutes from time when Schalke defender Salif Sane was wrong-footed by a long ball and substitute winger Bazee rifled home.