RB Leipzig extended their strong home form to six matches without defeat (W4, D2) after a commanding 3-1 win over Union Berlin at the Red Bull Arena.
The result moves them within touching distance of a top-four finish in the Bundesliga and a return to next season’s UEFA Champions League.
Leipzig began brightly, with Antonio Nusa testing Frederik Rønnow early on after bursting into the box, only to be denied by a low save.
The Union goalkeeper was again called into action shortly after, first stopping Rômulo Cardoso from close range before András Schäfer tracked back well to clear the rebound off the line.
The pressure eventually told midway through the first half. Yan Diomande’s delivery from the byline was only partially dealt with by Rønnow, and after Leopold Querfeld’s clearance fell short, Max Finkgräfe arrived to sweep a first-time left-footed strike into the bottom corner.
Just three minutes later, Leipzig doubled their advantage. A lofted pass released Cardoso, who reacted quickest to get in behind the defence and calmly finished into an empty net after rounding the keeper.
The hosts came close to a third before the break, with Willi Orban striking the crossbar from a header and Christoph Baumgartner forcing an excellent save, leaving Leipzig firmly in control at half-time.
Union, who have largely been safe from immediate relegation trouble, struggled to threaten for long spells.
Leipzig, however, made their dominance count again shortly after the hour mark when Ridle Baku latched onto a clever pass inside the box, shifted away from pressure, and slotted past Rønnow to make it 3-0.
The visitors did manage a response in the 78th minute, as Danilho Doekhi powered home a header from a corner to reduce the deficit.
However, any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished, and even a late effort from Ilyas Ansah was ruled out for offside.
Leipzig saw out the closing stages comfortably, securing a vital three points that leave them eight points clear of their nearest top-four rivals with only four matches remaining.
Union remain 11th in the table, six points above the relegation play-off zone, though they may still need to stay alert in the final stretch of the season.
