Berlin (AFP) – Wolfsburg crashed to a 3-1 defeat at Hoffenheim on Saturday to miss their chance of going level on points with Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga table.
Elsewhere last season’s runners-up RB Leipzig brushed off recent poor results to climb to 10th with a 6-0 thrashing of Hertha Berlin.
Wolfsburg’s defeat in Hoffenheim means defending champions Bayern maintain the gap they opened on Friday with a 3-1 win at bottom side Greuther Fuerth.
Borussia Dortmund can trim Bayern’s advantage to just a point with a win later at strugglers Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Wolfsburg took the lead at Hoffenheim when winger Ridle Baku fired in a stunning long-range shot from the left flank.
However Hoffenheim roared back with three unanswered goals as Croatia striker Andrej Kramaric headed in a corner, then Christoph Baumgartner and Pavel Kaderabek fired in second-half goals.
The defeat sees Wolfsburg drop to third on goal difference behind Bayer Leverkusen, who climbed to second after teenage midfielder Florian Wirtz made history in their 1-0 home win over Mainz.
Wirtz, a full Germany international at just 18, continued his fairytale form as his second-half winner made him the youngest player to reach the milestone of 10 Bundesliga goals.
In Leipzig, the hosts picked up a much-needed confidence boost before Tuesday’s home Champions League game against Brugge by thrashing Hertha.
French winger Christopher Nkunku capped an outstanding display with two goals and two assists as Leipzig ran amok.
Three defeats in their opening five league games, as well as a 6-3 thrashing at Manchester City in Europe, had piled pressure on Leipzig coach Jesse Marsch.
The American reacted by switching struggling new striker Andre Silva up front for Denmark forward Yussuf Poulsen, who linked up with Nkunku to cause havoc in the Hertha defence.
Nkunku deftly chipped the Berlin goalkeeper to give the hosts an early lead, then provided the pass which Poulsen swept into the net for the second.
Lukas Klostermann had a goal disallowed, but Leipzig still went into half-time 3-0 up when Nordi Mukiele volleyed home an Angelino free-kick.
Leipzig playmaker Emil Forsberg converted a penalty to make it 4-0 before Nkunku grabbed his second when he fired in a free-kick.
Mali midfielder Amadou Haidara made it 6-0 when he fired into the bottom corner from the edge of the area for his second goal in as many games.
Union Berlin extended ther unbeaten league run at home to 20 games after their 1-0 win at home to Bielefeld.
Substitute striker Kevin Behrens came off the bench to claim his first Bundesliga goal in only his fourth game for Union.
