RB Leipzig came from behind to claim a crucial 2-1 victory over Hamburger SV at the Volksparkstadion, ending their own winless run while snapping Die Rothosen’s six-match unbeaten streak in the Bundesliga.

Leipzig began brightly in their bid to close the gap on the top four, with Romulo Cardoso testing Daniel Heuer Fernandes early on. The contest quickly developed into an open, end-to-end encounter, as Damion Downs forced a sharp low save from Maarten Vandevoordt at the other end.

Hamburg suffered a setback when Nicolas Capaldo was forced off injured midway through the first half, but the hosts responded in the best possible fashion. After winning possession on the halfway line, they surged forward on the counterattack, and Fabio Vieira capped a slick team move by firing beyond Vandevoordt for his second goal in as many matches.

Leipzig reacted positively to falling behind and almost equalised immediately, only for Christoph Baumgartner to see his header drift narrowly wide. Brajan Gruda then went close as the visitors ramped up the pressure, and their persistence paid off in the 36th minute.

A deep cross was expertly cushioned down by Ridle Baku into the path of Romulo, who, with his back to goal, produced a sublime backheel finish that left Heuer Fernandes helpless.

Buoyed by the equaliser, Leipzig seized control early in the second half and completed the turnaround within five minutes of the restart. Pressing high once more, they forced another turnover in Hamburg’s half before Romulo slipped a clever pass through to Yan Diomande. The Ivorian forward held off three defenders and emphatically rifled the ball into the roof of the net.

Romulo had the chance to put the game beyond doubt from the penalty spot after Nicolai Remberg was penalised for handball, but his tame effort was comfortably saved by Heuer Fernandes, keeping Hamburg within touching distance.

Despite that reprieve, the hosts struggled to carve out clear opportunities in the closing stages. Instead, Leipzig looked more likely to add a third, though Ezechiel Banzuzi missed a close-range header.

The miss proved inconsequential as Leipzig held firm to secure just their second win in six Bundesliga outings, moving to within two points of the top four. Hamburg remain 11th, four points above the relegation zone, and are now winless in their last six meetings with Leipzig.