RB Leipzig run riot in emphatic demolition of Hoffenheim

First-half doubles from Christoph Baumgartner and Brajan Gruda put Leipzig firmly in control before the break, with Benjamin Henrichs adding further gloss late on to seal a statement win and secure a crucial three points in the race for the top four.

The opening exchanges were cagey, with both sides taking time to settle, but once Leipzig found their rhythm, they proved unstoppable. The breakthrough arrived in the 17th minute when Nicolas Seiwald fed Rômulo, whose effort was parried by Oliver Baumann straight into the path of Gruda, who reacted quickest to slot home from close range.

Leipzig doubled their advantage just four minutes later. After a recycled corner, Yan Diomande worked the ball to David Raum, whose inviting delivery was met by Baumgartner, the Austrian rising highest to head beyond Baumann and make it 2-0.

With Hoffenheim reeling, Leipzig continued to press. On the half-hour mark, Baumgartner struck again in superb fashion, controlling a lofted pass from Gruda with his chest before firing a first-time volley past Baumann to extend the lead to three.

There was no let-up before the interval. As Hoffenheim attempted to limit the damage, Leipzig struck a fourth. Diomande combined neatly with Seiwald before delivering a low cross that evaded the defence and found Gruda at the far post, who tapped in to complete his brace and cap a relentless first-half performance. A stoppage-time effort from Diomande was ruled out for offside, sparing the visitors further punishment.

Hoffenheim showed signs of improvement after the restart, with Grischa Prömel coming closest to pulling one back. The midfielder saw his initial effort saved by Maarten Vandevoordt before firing the rebound over the bar.

However, any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished as Leipzig regained control and continued to dominate possession. Their fifth goal arrived with 12 minutes remaining, as substitute Henrichs - who recently made his return after a lengthy injury layoff - latched onto a pass from Antonio Nusa and drilled a powerful effort past Baumann from a tight angle.

Leipzig comfortably saw out the remainder of the match, securing their 10th clean sheet of the campaign in the process.

The victory marks a strong response following last week’s setback in Stuttgart, lifting Die Roten Bullen into third place, above Hoffenheim. Meanwhile, Hoffenheim’s inconsistent run continues, with just two wins from their last five matches, dealing a significant blow to their Champions League ambitions.