RB Leipzig extended their unbeaten run to six games in the Bundesliga with a 2-1 win against Hamburg with Christoph Baumgartner the star of the show.
The Austrian opened the scoring at the end of the first half and scored the go-ahead goal – closing the gap to leaders Bayern Munich – after Sambi Lokonga equalised for the visitors as Hamburg impressed. Credit where it’s due, with each passing game, HSV are looking more and more like a Bundesliga team and are deserving of their return to Germany’s top-flight.
The hosts would kick-off their Matchday 7 fixture paying homage to Yussuf Poulsen, who left the club – after 425 competitive appearances – for Hamburg in the summer ending his 12 year stay at the Saxony club.
Even affair in the opening exchanges
David Raum and Antonio Nusa both tried their luck for Leipzig in the early exchanges but there was little to separate the two teams with both teams probing for the opening goal. Die Roten Bullen’s best chance came through Christoph Baumgartner after the Austrian linked up well with Assan Ouédraogo down the right, before forcing Daniel Heuer Fernandes into a save.
Ouédraogo would again be at the centre of anything that Leipzig created going forward in the first half, creating an opportunity for Johan Bakayoko who went in search for his third Bundesliga goal, but the Belgian winger fired over from just outside of the area.
Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer and Sambi Lokonga both then troubled Leipzig in a five minute spell that the visitors dominated with both teams looking for that elusive opening goal.
Goals in quick succession as Baumgartner stars
Baumgartner was then the man to break the deadlock for Leipzig at the death, scoring in added time of the first half. The Austrian converted Leipzig’s best opportunity of the opening 45 minutes to net his third Bundesliga goal of the season. Going seven months with a league goal before his opening goal against Heidenheim on Matchday 2, Baumgartner’s third of the campaign was a header at the far post after running from deep and losing his marker.
But as Leipzig ended the half with renewed confidence, it was Hamburg that scored the next goal. Just two minutes after the restart, Sambi Lokonga scored his second in as many games with a deflected effort that came off Nicolas Seiwald’s heel, looping over Peter Gulácsi.
Leipzig then hit back instantly through Baumgartner with his fourth Bundesliga goal of the season just two minutes later. After a difficult campaign last season, the Austrian is establishing himself as a key player under Ole Werner. The 26-year-old played a neat one-two with Rômulo before placing his shot low beyond Heuer Fernandes as Leipzig retook the lead.
As Hamburg pushed for a second equaliser, it was Jean-Luc Dompé that came closest with a free-kick that brushed the outside of Gulácsi’s post with 20 minutes remaining. The hosts then had to withstand increasing pressure as HSV threw everything they had in the final 10 minutes, but Werner’s side held on to extend their unbeaten run.
RB Leipzig 2-1 Hamburg Player Ratings
RB Leipzig: Gulácsi (5) – Baku (6), Orban (5), Lukeba (7), Raum (6) – Seiwald (7), Ouedraogo (6), Baumgartner (8) – Bakayoko (5), Nusa (6), Romulo (6)
Others: Yan Diomande (6), Ezechiel Banzuzi (-), Xaver Schlager (-), Lukas Klostermann (-), Conrad Harder (-)
Hamburg: Heuer Fernandes (4) – Capaldo (3), Vuskovic (5), Elfadli (5) – Mikelbrencis (5), Lokonga (7), Remberg (6), Muheim (7) – Philippe (4), Königsdörffer (5), Dompé (6)
Others: Immanuël Pherai (5), Yussuf Poulsen (-), Fabio Baldé (-), Robert Glatzel (-)
GGFN Man of the Match: Christoph Baumgartner (8)
The Austrian has been a standout performer for Leipzig this season under Werner. A workhorse in midfield, Baumgartner also has an end product. His brace against Hamburg on Matchday 7 is his first in Leipzig colours. Not only that, the 26-year-old also looked to create, with two passes into the final third, he looked to break the lines, and also created one clear chance. After struggling last season, it’s great to see the midfielder smiling again, and in excellent form.
GGFN | Daniel Pinder
