Bundesliga
RB Leipzig put their 6-0 opening day thrashing behind them as Christoph Baumgartner's spectacular strike and Rômulo's cheeky backheel secured a commanding 2-0 victory over Heidenheim at the Red Bull Arena.
RB Leipzig 2-0 Heidenheim
Goals: 1-0 Baumgartner 48‘ (assist: Raum), 2-0 Rômulo 78‘ (assist: Baku)
After their opening day humiliation at Bayern Munich, Ole Werner made four changes to his shell-shocked side, handing first Bundesliga starts to Brazilian forward Rômulo and Dutch midfielder Ezechiel Banzuzi, while Christoph Baumgartner and Antonio Nusa also came into the starting eleven.
The visitors arrived in good spirits, having won their last four competitive away matches, though their record against Leipzig - with just one win in ten previous meetings - offered little encouragement for Frank Schmidt's men.
A lively opening saw Baumgartner nearly capitalise on a Dorsch error in the sixth minute, before Heidenheim created two excellent chances of their own. First a Mathias Honsak volley forced a smart save from Péter Gulácsi, before Arijon Ibrahimović headed wide from a good position.
The hosts responded through Banzuzi and Rômulo, both testing Diant Ramaj in quick succession. Leipzig gradually took control, Ramaj producing an excellent reaction save to deny Rômulo's fierce drive in the 33rd minute. Despite the entertaining ebb and flow, the first half ended goalless, with Heidenheim proving stubborn opponents.
Werner's men needed just three minutes after the restart to find the breakthrough, and it came in spectacular fashion.
David Raum's perfectly weighted ball over the top found Baumgartner, who let it come across his body before unleashing an unstoppable strike with the outside of his right boot that flew past Ramaj at 98.61 km/h. The goal visibly lifted Leipzig, who began to dominate proceedings.
Baumgartner nearly doubled his tally in the 65th minute when his header crashed against the crossbar. Heidenheim's resistance was finally broken again in the 78th minute when Ridle Baku and Yan Diomande combined brilliantly down the right before Baku cut back for Rômulo, who cheekily backheeled the ball into the far corner to seal the three points.
The Austrian international was the catalyst for Leipzig's victory with a performance which demonstrated both technical excellence and tireless industry. His stunning opener changed the complexion of the match completely.
Beyond his goal, Baumgartner was a constant menace, registering a match-high five shots, including a header that struck the crossbar. His work rate was equally impressive, winning 14 challenges - more than anyone else on the pitch.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Leipzig 2.87 - Heidenheim 0.91
Fastest player: Sirlord Conteh (Heidenheim), 35.07 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Christoph Baumgartner (Leipzig), 8 percent
Most pressed player: Antonio Nusa (Leipzig), 22 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Xaver Schlager (Leipzig), +3.72
Fantasy Heroes: Christoph Baumgartner (Leipzig, 326 Points), David Raum (Leipzig, 296 Points), Ridle Baku (Leipzig, 284 Points)