Leipzig fight back to keep pace with Bayern

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January 28, 2017 5:26 PM

Leipzig grabbed the winner when Keita stepped on the gas and passed to Austria international Sabitzer, who fired home from 22 metres out.

Leipzig's Timo Werner (R) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Hoffenheim in Leipzig, eastern Germany on January 28, 2017

Second-placed RB Leipzig ended 10-man Hoffenheims unbeaten run this season with a 2-1 comeback win in Saturdays key Bundesliga clash to stay just three points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Hoffenheim were the last undefeated team left in Europe's top leagues but Marcel Sabitzer's 77th-minute winner dealt the visitors their first loss of the campaign after striker Sandro Wagner's dismissal.

"I was impressed by the way we didn't lose our way after going behind," said RB coach Ralph Hasenhuettl. "That was a big point against a very good opponent. We were very clever, very flexible, in the way we acted."

With Germany coach Joachim Loew watching, Hoffenheim took the lead at Leipzig's Red Bull Arena when midfielder Sebastian Rudy, who will join Bayern next season, started a copybook counter-attack from his own box.

Hoffenheim moved the ball quickly until ex-Leicester striker Andrej Kramaric squared for midfielder Nadiem Amiri to tap-in on 18 minutes.

Leipzig kept their composure and Guinea playmaker Naby Keita forced his way into the Hoffenheim area to lay the ball off as Timo Werner netted his 11th goal this season.

Hoffenheim were reduced to 10 men for the last 30 minutes when Wagner was sent off for a clumsy tackle on Leipzig's Stefan Ilsanker.

Bayern hold firm

Carlo Ancelotti's Bayern stayed top with a hard-fought 2-1 win at battling Werder Bremen.

Bayern went ahead when Franck Ribery's pass found Arjen Robben and the Dutch winger curled his shot inside the post from outside the area on 31 minutes.

David Alaba doubled the lead with a sweetly-struck curling free-kick on the stroke of half-time.

But Bremen, who had last scored against Bayern in April 2014, dug deep and put up a spirited display at their Weser Stadion.

Germany striker Max Kruse pulled a goal back on 53 minutes and ex-Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry caused lots of problems down the right flank, but Bayern ultimately held on.

"That was an important win in a difficult game," said Bayern boss Ancelotti.

"After conceding the goal, we lost our shape and we were a bit anxious and made problems for ourselves, I have to admit that.

"But by the end, we had the game under control."

Cologne battered bottom side Darmstadt 6-1 at home as Japan striker Yuya Osako scored twice in the rout.

Ex-Germany midfielder Torsten Frings, Darmstadt's new coach, cut a frustrated figure as Cologne raced into a 3-0 half-time lead through an own goal by Aytac Sulu, Osako and Anthony Modeste.

Darmstadt's Sidney Sam netted a second-half penalty before Osako, ex-Dortmund midfielder Milos Jojic and Latvia striker Artjoms Rudnevs netted for Cologne.

The result leaves Darmstadt seven points from safety while Cologne stay seventh.

Relegation-threatened Ingolstadt remained 16th, but boosted their survival chances with a 3-1 win over Hamburg, who drop to second from bottom.

Pascal Gross, Markus Suttner and Almog Cohen, who netted a penalty, scored for Ingolstadt before Hamburg's Japanese captain Gotoku Sakai pulled a goal back.

Wolfsburg slid towards the relegation zone with a 2-1 home defeat against Augsburg, whose Dominik Kohr scored the winner after Halil Altintop equalised following Germany striker Mario Gomez's early goal for the Wolves.

Eintracht Frankfurt went third on Friday with a 1-0 win at Schalke with their burly striker Alexander Meier, the league's top scorer in 2014-15, netting a first-half winner.

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