Updated at 20.16
TIMO WERNER bagged a hat-trick as RB Leipzig routed Mainz 5-0 behind closed doors on Sunday to climb to third in the German league table as the striker moved to within three goals of the Bundesliga’s top-scorer Robert Lewandowski.
It was the 24-year-old’s third Bundesliga hat-trick having also netted three times when Leipzig romped to an 8-0 home win against Mainz last November.
Werner’s treble leaves him on 24 goals, while Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski claimed his 27th Bundesliga goal this season in the league leader’s 5-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
Leipzig’s victory was the tenth win for the visiting team in 17 matches since the Bundesliga restarted last weekend.
Werner opened the scoring in Mainz after 11 minutes when he converted a low cross.
Yussuf Poulsen then marked his 250th appearance for Leipzig by heading home a Marcel Sabitzer cross on 23 minutes.
The pair reversed roles for the third when Poulsen laid a pass off to Sabitzer who showed great finishing to make it 3-0 at the break.
Werner grabbed his second goal three minutes into the second-half when Kevin Kampl played him into the area.
The visitors were attacking at will when Kampl had a goal ruled out for offside soon after.
With 15 minutes left, Poulsen’s floated free-kick was met by Werner who volleyed past Mainz goalkeeper Florian Mueller to wrap up his hat-trick.
The win leaves Leipzig third and seven points behind leaders Bayern.
Meanwhile, Schalke extended winless run to nine games this afternoon by losing to an Augsburg side who gave their survival hopes a significant boost.
A 3-0 away win – Augsburg’s first victory in seven attempts – pushes them up to 12th place in the Bundesliga, while Schalke remain in eighth.
With a seventh-minute free-kick, Eduard Löwen gave the visitors the lead in the first of today’s three German top-flight fixtures.
Schalke, who reached the last 16 of the Champions League last season, were unable to make their dominance of possession count.
Now managed by former Huddersfield Town boss David Wagner, they fell further behind when Noah Joel Sarenren Bazee scored on 76 minutes, with Sergio Cordoba capping the win for Augsburg in stoppage time.
Later, mid-table Cologne scored late goals through strikers Anthony Modeste and Jhon Cordoba, who equalised in added time, to fight back for a 2-2 draw against strugglers Fortuna Duesseldorf.
Visitors Fortuna, who are 16th which carries a two-legged relegation play-off at the end of the season, had led with an hour gone through goals by Kenan Karaman and Erik Thommy.
Additional reporting by AFP
Originally published at 15.01
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