RB Leipzig came from behind to beat Augsburg 5-2 and move up to third in the Bundesliga with their third successive league win, continuing their record-breaking perfect home start to the campaign.
Leipzig hadn’t conceded a goal in any of their first four Bundesliga home games this season but were stunned as they went behind after just 37 seconds.
Willi Orban – making his 400th appearance for Die Roten Bullen – gifted the ball to Arijon Ibrahimovic, who saw his effort saved by Maarten Vandevoordt before Anton Kade followed up to tap into the empty net.
It was a major boost for the visitors, who came into the game without a win since early September and had the chance to go 2-0 up when Rodrigo Ribeiro headed over from a promising position.
That chance woke up the home side, and they burst forward immediately, with captain David Raum’s thunderous drive being saved bravely by the face of Finn Dahmen.
The home side found their equaliser just after the half-hour mark with a wonderful strike from Ezechiel Banzuzi, as the midfielder drilled a left-footed effort into the bottom corner from 25 yards after being set up by Brajan Gruda.
The celebrations had barely finished by the time Leipzig struck again to complete a quickfire turnaround. Gruda’s cross was volleyed into the roof of the net by Christopher Nkunku for his first goal since a hat-trick against Eintracht Frankfurt in October.
Leipzig’s momentum showed no signs of slowing down and they added a third in first-half stoppage time, as Raum responded to a rare omission from the Germany squad by curling a stunning free-kick into the top corner from the edge of the box.
After the break, Kade nearly repeated his start to the first half as he was played through on goal only for Vandevoordt to deny him.
That miss proved costly for Augsburg as Leipzig extended their lead on the hour-mark. Romulo scored his fourth goal in three Bundesliga matches, finishing off a flowing move down the left by tapping a cutback from Nkunku in from two yards out.
Martin Demichelis’ side weren’t finished there, with his substitutes also keen to get in on the action in a record-extending tenth successive top-flight home win.
Antonio Nusa and Christoph Baumgartner had both been on the pitch for less than a minute when they combined to score Leipzig’s fifth, with Baumgartner sweeping in Nusa’s low cross from the left.
Augsburg had the final say as Uchenna Ogundu scored his first Bundesliga goal with the final kick of the match, but the damage had already been done.
Leipzig could be forgiven for being frustrated at the timing of the upcoming international break, especially after winning four of their last five games to take themselves just three points off early pacesetters Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
Augsburg, meanwhile, will be grateful for a break as their winless league run extended to seven matches.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Brajan Gruda (RB Leipzig)