Two stunning goals from Naby Keïta and Timo Werner were the difference as RB Leipzig overcame a stubborn Hamburger SV.
The Red Shorts lost their 100% start to the Bundesliga season but resisted last season’s runners-up for 66 minutes before Keïta scored with a spectacular hit from outside the box.
Werner made it two in a superb one-man counter as Leipzig moved level on points with their hosts.
Werner denied penalty on video evidence
Hamburg, in the unfamiliar position of having won both of their opening games, made two changes for this game, with the suspended Mergim Mavraj, plus Aaron Hunt, replaced by Gideon Jung and Lewis Holtby. Leipzig made two changes as well, as Lukas Klostermann and an ill Emil Forsberg made way for Bernardo and Bruma, handed his first start after his stunning goal against SC Freiburg in their last match.
In heavy rain at the Volksparkstadion, Leipzig naturally created plenty of chances in the opening minutes. Jean-Kévin Augustin back-heeled wide from a Werner cross, before Kyriakos Papadopoulos excellently blocked a Willi Orban effort. Bruma was having a big impact for Leipzig and did excellently on the left to find Werner, whose shot was saved by Christian Mathenia.
Hamburg weren’t just soaking up the pressure from the visitors though. After an impressive run from Bobby Wood came to an end in the box, Filip Kostic then had their best chance of the half. André Hahn laid it on a plate for him, he slotted past Péter Gulácsi but couldn’t get his shot on target.
Leipzig had further chances, however in the 45th minute they thought they had won a penalty out of nothing. Werner had gone down in the box, supposedly brought down by Albin Ekdal, with Deniz Aytekin, after some thought, pointing to the spot. The video assistant inevitably became involved, and saw that Ekdal had won the ball before getting a slight touch on Werner, which had been enough to trigger his descent to the ground. The decision was reversed, and it remained goalless at the break.
Hamburg overwhelmed by two moments of brilliance
A low-key start to the second half saw neither side make much progress towards opening the scoring. Leipzig were getting forward more, trying to make something happen, but invariably Hamburg were able to cut them off. Papadopoulos, who barely played during his loan spell with Leipzig before joining Hamburg, was a rock at the back, such as when he strongly dealt with Werner before disposing him of the ball.
Bruma tried to score what would have been another cracking goal, although his curled strike was easily saved in the end by Mathenia. The Hamburg goalkeeper could have done better to keep out the first goal when it did come though. Having said it, it was a stunning strike from Keïta after a quickly taken free-kick from someway outside of the box.
Moments after coming from the bench, Sven Schipplock then almost equalised for Hamburg with his lap, only to be denied by Gulácsi. Papadopoulos went down in the aftermath, but there was nothing doing, and Leipzig substitute Kevin Kampl sought out Werner. The striker ran almost the entire length of the pitch in his single-man counter, brushing off defenders at ease before finishing the job.
Hamburg had little left to give, with further chances falling to Diego Demma, Kampl and Keïta for Leipzig as the game drew to a close. They had to finish the game with ten men though, after Keïta was forced off with what appeared to be a groin injury. Another three points in the bag, but have they lost their key man for the UEFA Champions League debut against AS Monaco on Wednesday night?