Berlin, Paris: RB Leipzig continued their stunning start to life in the Bundesliga on Friday with a 4-1 win at Freiburg that saw them move six points clear of Bayern Munich at the top of the table.
Timo Werner scored twice for the visitors at the Schwarzwald Stadion in between goals by Naby Keita and Marcel Sabitzer, with Florian Niederlechner replying in vain for the home side.
RB Leipzig’s record-breaking start to a season for a newly-promoted side sees them still unbeaten after 12 games. They have won their last seven matches in a row and this latest success means they are certain to end the weekend clear at the summit once again.
Ralph Hassenhuettl’s men can do no wrong at the moment and they opened the scoring in the Black Forest inside two minutes when pocket-sized Guinean midfielder Keita skipped away from Niederlechner and unleashed a superb shot that arrowed beyond the reach of goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow and into the top-right corner.
Mid-table Freiburg, who had won four of their previous five home games this season, drew level out of nowhere on the quarter-hour mark when Niederlechner headed past Peter Gulacsi in the Leipzig goal following a right-wing cross by Borussia Dortmund loanee Pascal Stenzel.
Freiburg had come up with Leipzig from the second tier last season, finishing five points clear of the Red Bull-backed club as they won the title.
They had taken four points off them in league meetings, but Leipzig are a different proposition in the top tier and they went back in front before the midway point in the first half.
Former VfB Stuttgart forward Werner was played onside by Marc Torrejon as he latched onto a ball over the top and slotted in after a rather weak attempt by Schwolow to stop him.
Werner netted again for his seventh of the season 10 minutes before the break after a superb pass by the ever impressive Emil Forsberg took Nicolas Hoefler out of the game.
The victory was secured as Leipzig made it 4-1 with 11 minutes left when Swedish international Forsberg set up Sabitzer to side-foot home at the near post.
Rennes continued their fine home form with a 1-0 win over Toulouse and went up to the fourth position on the French Ligue 1 table.
Yoann Gourcuff’s 42-second strike separated the sides on Friday and improved Rennes’ record to six wins and two draws from eight league games at Roazhon Park this season.
Gourcuff was played in down the left by Paul-Georges Ntep inside the opening minute and drilled the ball with the outside of his right foot through goalkeeper Alban Lafont’s legs at his near post.
Rennes pushed for a second, with Ntep hitting a post before half-time and Joris Gnagnon heading against the crossbar after the interval.
Home goalkeeper Benoit Costil denied Martin Braithwaite at the other end before Toulouse’s Christopher Jullien was sent off in stoppage time.
