Freiburg 1-4 Leipzig
November 25, 2016Freiburg 1-4 RB Leipzig
(Niederlechner 15' - Keita 2', Werner 21' 35', Sabitzer 79')
RB Leipzig were not only able keep their spot at the top of the Bundesliga table on Friday night but also pulled six points clear of second-placed Bayern Munich, with a 4-1 win over Freiburg.
In what proved to be another stellar, attacking performance from Ralph Hasenhüttl's side, the East German club also maintained an away run of form that has been unmatched in the German top division this season with five wins and two draws in seven games.
An opening goal from Nabi Keita just 80 seconds in to the game stunned the home support in to silence when the Guinean midfielder picked up the ball from 30 yards out and drilled a shot in to the top corner. Yet any hopes of Keita stealing the headlines were quickly distinguished when a nearby teammate stole the show.
Just six minutes after Florian Niederlechner equalizer for Freiburg – a simple header at the back post from a floated cross that the Leipzig defence seemed intent on ignoring – Timo Werner latched on to a through ball from Diego Demme just moments before Freiburg keeper Alexander Schwolow could intercept and swiftly drifted past the shot-stopper to tap the ball in to the net.
Yet rather than rest on their laurels like they had done earlier, Hasenhüttl's team went hunting for a third, conclusive goal. Once again it was the young German goalscorer that stepped up and made the difference.
At their best Leipzig attack opposing defences with the numbers and tenacity of a pack of wild dogs, harassing possession and focus from defenders with speed and genuine ability. Not only does this team work hard but they can also pass and dribble as well as any in the Bundesliga.
Leipzig's third goal was a perfect example of this tried and tested method. Emil Forsberg, picking the ball up deep in the Freiburg half, turned immediately and without a moment's hesitation played a weighted through ball for Werner to run on to. The striker, already creeping behind the unsuspecting centre back Nicolas Hofler, ran on to the pass and curled the ball past the keeper with his first touch.
Werner's second on the night was his seventh in 12 Bundesliga games this season. Add to that four assists and you find yourself staring directly at one of the key factors for Leipzig's surprise sprint to the top of the Bundesliga table. Although the newly-promoted side are by no means a one-man team, the young man they signed from Stuttgart in the summer is beginning to suggest that with him in the team they deserve to be challenging for major honors.
Indeed, should Werner continue such form then Leipzig may not be the only team he'll be asked to help improve. German national team coach Joachim Löw seems intent on sticking by Mario Götze and Kevin Volland for the time being in his hunt for Germany's new No.9 but it seems like only a matter of time before Werner earns his first cap for his nation's senior team.
Leipzig wrapped up all three points at the Dreisamstadion with a tidy finish from Marcel Sabitzer just 10 minutes before full time. Five minutes after that Werner's number got called and he walked off the pitch to be substituted to the chorus of exuberant Leipzig fans. This club are making waves in German football and at the heart of if is a very special young player.