'Happy' Werner fires Leipzig to nervy victory after contract extension

Berlin (AFP) – Timo Werner celebrated his new contract by helping RB Leipzig to a 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

Werner, who had been linked with a move to Bayern Munich either this year or in 2020, signed a new deal which will keep him at Leipzig until 2023. 

“I am happy about the contract extension and my goal, but most of all I am happy about the win,” Werner told the club’s official TV channel after the game. 

“It means a lot to me that our fans celebrated so loudly after they announced the extension in the stadium.”

The new contract was announced shortly before kick-off, and the 23-year-old Germany international promptly proved his worth by opening the scoring with a poacher’s finish.

With just 10 minutes on the clock, Werner hooked the ball in at the far post after Yussuf Poulsen had flicked it on at a corner. 

Poulsen appeared to have decided a tense game in the home side’s favour with a sumptuous volley ten minutes from time.

Leipzig, though, had to survive six nervy minutes of injury time after Goncalo Paciencia pulled one back for Frankfurt in the 89th minute.

– Winning Wolfsburg –

The win leaves Leipzig in joint second alongside Freiburg with six points from their first pair of games. 

Wolfsburg have also won two in two after they cruised to a 3-0 win at Hertha Berlin in Sunday’s other game.

Hertha had a penalty decision in their favour overturned by VAR in the first minute, and were left furious when Wolfsburg were given a spotkick at the other end shortly afterwards.

The home side’s protests of a handball fell on deaf ears, however, and Wout Weghorst stepped up to open the scoring for Wolfsburg.

Josip Brekalo doubled the lead eight minutes from time with a darting run into the box, and Jerome Roussillon smashed in the third in injury time.