Bundesliga report: RB Leipzig put four past FC Koln to move back into third

A fine performance from RB Leipzig saw them retrieve a goal deficit in the process of teaching a lesson to a Koln side who met them head-on. RB go back into the Champions League places, jumping Leverkusen and Gladbach to go third, while FC stay 11th.

Both teams started brightly, so it was both surprising and not that FC took the lead on seven minutes. Jhon Cordoba, ramming home after Elvis Rexhbecaj’s shot came back on the post. But Cordoba, who looked in fine form, then injured his ankle, and while he was off the pitch receiving treatment, RB equalised, thanks to Patrick Shick’s deft header.

Cordoba returned but not for long, and on 38 minutes Christopher Nkunku’s lovely finish gave Konrad Laimer’s touch and through-pass the finish they deserved.

After the break, both sides went looking for it again, with the game settled in seven minutes shortly afterwards. First, Timo Werner put RB further ahead, then Anthony Modeste pulled one back, before Dani Olmo scored his first Bundesliga goal.

RB ought to have scored a few more after that, but won’t mind too much; FC will still want a win to feel safe from relegation.

How far can RB go? RB are quick, strong, clever and organised; they know exactly what they're doing, and are good at doing it. But they're still nine points behind Bayern Munich; to catch up, they need a player or two to become one of the best two or three in world, and to stay and the club. That is what it will take.

Konrad Laimer (RB Leipzig) Dominated midfield with Marcel Sabitzer, and showed sensational technique and vision in creating his team’s second goal before going off once the game was safe.

FC Koln: Horn 7, Schmitz 5, Leistner 6, Czichos 5, Katterbach 6, Hector 6, Skhiri 5, Jakobs 5, Rexhbecaj 6, Kainz 6, Cordoba 8. Subs: Modeste 7, Drexler 6, Thielman 6, Mere 6, Terrode 6.

RB Leipzig: Gulasci 6, Mukiele 7, Upamecano 6, Klostermann 5, Angelino 7, Olmo 7, Laimer 8, Sabitzer 7, Shick 7, Werner 7. Subs: Adams 6, Forsberg 6, Haidara 6.

By setting up Timo Werner, Peter Gulasci became the first goalkeeper to "register a goal involvement" in this season's Bundesliga.

FC have now scored in 15 consecutive league games - their longest such streak since November 1986 - August 1987 under Christoph Daum.

7’ - GOAL! FC Koln 1-0 RB Leipzig (Cordoba) Cordoba finds Kainz on the right, who steps inside and slides a gorgeous pass into the space behind Upamecano which Rexhbecaj attacks! He's in! He opens his body and passes a finish across Gulasci ... but the ball hits the base of the post ... only for Cordoba to reappear and absolutely lamp a finish into the roof! We got ourselves a ball-game!

20’ - GOAL! FC Koln 1-1 RB Leipzig (Shick) Excuse me while I interrupt myself! Leistner gives it away cheaply and Upamecano steps into the play, moving the ball left to Angelino. He takes a touch, has a look, and swings a cross over the Shick on the other side of the box and teaching Czichos a lesson, all over him while planting an expert's header across Horn.

38’ - LOVELY GOAL! LOVELY GOAL! FC Koln 1-2 RB Leipzig (Nkunku) Horn yanks a clearance into centrefield, but there looks nothing on until Laimer leaps into it, a luscious first touch taking the ball out of the air and into his stride so that he can send Nkunku in with a sensational pass. Horn races out, but Nkunku sees him a coming, a deft dink sending RB into the lead and Gisdol into a temper!

50’ - GOAL! FC Koln 1-3 RB Leipzig (Werner) ...Gulasci swings a brilliant pass straight out of his hands, which puts Werner in! That can't possibly be good defending, but it is brilliant from the keeper and what's going to happen next is never in doubt, Werner speeding off to pass an expert's finish into the bottom-right.

55’ - WHAT A GOAL! FC Koln 2-3 RB Leipzig (Modeste) Klostermann makes a klostermess of a cross, allowing Modeste to take the ball, send him for a currywurst, and power-bend a huge finish past Gulasci from 20 yards! We got ourselves a ball-game!

57’ - GOAL! FC Koln 2-4 RB Leipzig (Olmo) Jakobs heads a corner straight to Olmo, who takes a touch and, using the defender as a screen, wrong-foots Horn to punnch-bend his first Bundesliga goal into the net.