Bayer Leverkusen 2 - 3 RB Leipzig: Leipzig battle back to beat Bayer Leverkusen and go clear at Bundesliga summit

Posted Saturday, November 19, 2016 by PA

RB Leipzig's fairytale maiden season in the Bundesliga continued on Friday night as they moved three points clear at the top of the table with a 3-2 win at Bayer Leverkusen.

Kevin Kampl gave Leverkusen the lead after just a minute, but an own goal from Julian Baumgartlinger brought Leipzig back on terms almost immediately.

Julian Brandt put Leverkusen back in front again on the stroke of half-time, but Hakan Calhanoglu missed a second-half penalty which would have made it 3-1 and Leipzig made the hosts pay by levelling through Emil Forsberg.

Forsberg then set up captain Willi Orban to head in a late Leipzig winner which made it 11 games unbeaten - a new record for a Bundesliga newcomer - and took them to the top of the table, at least until Bayern Munich travel to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Kampl gave Leverkusen a flying start when he found some space unmarked at the far post and slotted his shot into an unguarded net from Brandt's cross.

However, the hosts were pegged back three minutes later when Timo Werner got a touch on Forsberg's corner at the near post and the ball struck the thigh of Baumgartlinger to sneak inside the left-hand upright.

The game quietened down after that barnstorming start, but there was to be another goal before the interval with Leverkusen regaining the lead out of nothing in first-half stoppage time.

Brandt was ignored by the two Leipzig central defenders as he latched onto Hakan Calhanoglu's lofted pass, but there was still a lot of work for the Germany international to do as he brought the ball under control before whipping a shot past Peter Gulacsi and into the far top corner.

Stefan Ilsanker, whose misplaced pass had been picked up by Calhanoglu for that goal, then committed a foul on Brandt which gave the Turkish midfielder the chance to double Leverkusen's lead from the penalty spot early in the second half.

However, the usually assured Calhanoglu saw his spot-kick saved by Gulacsi, and Leipzig breathed again.

Marcel Halstenberg had a shot blocked by Benjamin Henrichs as Leipzig's lively attacking football continued to cause problems, and Leverkusen invited Forsberg to advance and unleash a shot which Bernd Leno only flapped at as the visitors deservedly levelled again.

Werner wasted a glorious opportunity to put Leipzig in front with 20 minutes to go before Leno made up for his earlier error by denying Marcel Sabitzer.

Leverkusen could not hold out, though, as Orban timed his first-ever Bundesliga goal to perfection, heading in Forsberg's cross at the far post to take Leipzig clear at the summit.