RB Leipzig 0 - 3 Hamburger: Leipzig suffer title blow as relegation-battling Hamburg claim impressive win

Posted Sunday, February 12, 2017 by PA

RB Leipzig's Bundesliga title challenge suffered a further setback as they were beaten 3-0 at home by struggling Hamburg.

First-half headers from Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Walace put the visitors on course for victory at Red Bull Arena before substitute Aaron Hunt rounded off a disappointing day for the hosts with a late third.

The result leaves Leipzig seven points behind leaders Bayern Munich, while Hamburg move further clear of the bottom two following their second successive win.

Leipzig boss Ralph Hasenhuttl was looking for a response from his second-placed side following last weekend's defeat at Borussia Dortmund and they began on the front foot with Timo Werner threatening twice in the early stages.

Hamburg had won away in the league only once all season but they showed no signs of playing for a point as they edged ahead in the 18th minute.

After American forward Bobby Wood was denied by home goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, Nicolai Muller sent in the resulting corner and Greece defender Papadopoulos, who was on loan at Leipzig earlier in the season, rose to powerfully head home.

The hosts did not learn their lesson and their susceptibility at set-pieces was exposed for a second time six minutes later.

Winger Muller was once again the provider as Brazilian midfielder Walace met his out-swinging corner from the right to nod into the bottom left corner on his Bundesliga debut.

Buoyed by the early breakthroughs, Hamburg continued to threaten and Filip Kostic almost made it 3-0 when his shot from the edge of the area fizzed just wide of the right post.

Leipzig, who began the day four points off top spot, almost halved the deficit 10 minutes before the break but Yussuf Poulsen saw his effort come back off the left upright following a strong run.

The home crowd would surely have been expecting a reaction from their team following the lacklustre first half but it was Hamburg who continued to carry the stronger attacking threat after the break.

Few clear chances were created until defender Dennis Diekmeier almost made it 3-0 with an attempt which came back off the bar in the final few minutes.

Markus Gisdol's men were not to be denied a third though and forward Hunt, who had only been on the pitch for a minute, capped a fine afternoon for the away side, tapping into an empty net in stoppage time following another Muller assist.