Leipzig lose again as Leverkusen profit, new Wolfsburg boss beaten

RB Leipzig lost for a second straight game on Saturday as visitors Bayer Leverkusen came from behind to win 3-1 and rise above their rivals into third in the Bundesliga.

Leaders Bayern Munich visit Heidenheim on Sunday when a point will crown them unofficial winter champions two games before the midpoint of the season as they look to re-establish a nine-point lead.

Borussia Dortmund are second after Friday's 2-0 home victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach. Leipzig could have leapfrogged them with win but instead followed the 3-1 loss at Union Berlin last weekend with a first home league reverse this term.

Leipzig's opener was an Austrian co-production as Christoph Baumgartner's quick throw was taken on by Xaver Schlager, whose surprise shot found the corner on 35 minutes.

Leipzig's midfield has been shorn of Kevin Kampl for months due to a bereavement and Schlager's second of the league season showed how well he and Baumgartner are filling in, especially with hot-shot striker Yan Diomande away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

But Leverkusen roared back with Martin Terrier leaping high to score a special header, a week after a scorpion kick goal, and Patrik Schick's cool finish against his ex-club had the visitors 2-1 up.

Montrell Culbreath sealed matters in injury time with his first Bundesliga goal despite Leipzig wanting a penalty at the other end.

Misfiring Leipzig forward Conrad Harder should have levelled early in the second half and the late introduction of Timo Werner - possibly in his last Red Bulls game - also came to nothing.

"I think it was a very good game for the spectators. It could have been 4-4," Leverkusen captain Robert Andrich told Sky. "We showed a very good reaction (to going behind)."

'Roller-coaster ride'

Daniel Bauer's first game in permanent charge of Wolfsburg ended in a wild 4-3 defeat at home to Freiburg despite Dženan Pejčinović's hat-trick.

The ex-under-19s boss was rewarded before kick-off with a contract until 2027 after seven points in four games in interim charge.

Bauer chose the Germany under-21 forward up top despite no league goals far and Pejčinović deputized perfectly for Mohamed Amoura, who is away with Algeria at the Africa Cup of Nations. But Freiburg still won out in the crazy contest.

"It was hard to find the right words in the dressing room after the match,' Bauer said. "It was a roller-coaster ride full of emotions. Freiburg were a little more savvy."

Freiburg's Philipp Treu volleyed in his first Bundesliga goal but later gave the ball away as Pejčinović opened his league account.

The forward added a second quickly after the break following Noah Atubolu's error, just before team-mate Saël Kumbedi blocked Yuito Suzuki's effort on the line.

Substitute Vincenzo Grifo's penalty after Jenson Seelt's foul did bring Freiburg level but Pejčinović grabbed his hat-trick on 69 minutes after more bad away defending.

The drama was not over with Seelt's unlucky own goal being followed by Derry Scherhant's winner on 78.

Freiburg are ninth as Wolfsburg slipped to 14th thanks to SV Hamburg's 1-1 home draw with seventh-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.

The visitors' kamikaze attempt to play out from the back ended with Albert Sambi Lokonga netting before Hugo Larsson levelled.

András Schäfer's stoppage-time goal gave Union a 1-0 win at 10-man Cologne. Hoffenheim are fifth after a 0-0 draw at VfB Stuttgart in sixth while Augsburg against Werder Bremen was also goalless as Manuel Baum ended his interim spell in charge of the hosts.