The Albany Gazette - 'Emotional' Werner scores for Leipzig on Bundesliga return

Leipzig played the majority of the game with 10 men, after Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai received a straight red card for an elbow to the throat of Cologne's Florian Kainz just before half time.

Werner left Leipzig for Chelsea in 2020 before returning earlier this week in a £25 million ($30.2 million, 29.5 million euros) deal.

Leipzig's record goal-scorer put his side ahead in the 36th minute, when goalkeeper Marvin Schwaebe let Werner's long-distance strike dip under his body and trickle across the line.

Cologne equalised just four minutes later however, when striker Florian Dietz dinked in from close range to chalk up his first ever Bundesliga goal.

French forward Christopher Nkunku gave the home side the lead in the 56th minute, but Cologne were able to equalise with 20 minutes to go through a clumsy own goal from Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol.

After the game, Werner said he was "very emotional" to return, saying "Leipzig is always a part of me".

The 26-year-old, however, was less enamoured of the result which means Leipzig have drawn their opening two matches.

"Two-two is acceptable, but for our aims (this season) it's far from satisfactory," he said.

Augsburg won 2-1 away at Bayern Leverkusen thanks to an 82nd minute goal from Andre Hahn.

Leverkusen, looking to rebound from a disappointing first round loss to Borussia Dortmund, went behind early when Augsburg midfielder Fredrik Jensen scored his side's first Bundesliga goal of the season.

Chilean midfielder Charles Aranguiz levelled just before halftime but Hahn's 82nd-minute strike saw Augsburg steal the lead and his side's first win of the year.

- Burke scores for Bremen -

Werder Bremen were able to snatch a late point at home against Stuttgart through a 95th minute goal from Scottish winger Oliver Burke.

Bremen's two-pronged attack of Niclas Fuellkrug and Marvin Ducksch again combined to put the home side ahead early, with Fuellkrug getting on the board in the fourth minute thanks to leadup work from Ducksch.

Stuttgart equalised in the 38th minute through Wataru Endo, before Sasa Kalajdzic slid a perfect pass into the path of Silas Katompa Mvumpa in the 77th minute to put his side 2-1 up, before Burke won a point for Bremen late.

In the German capital, under pressure Hertha Berlin roared out of the blocks at home against Eintracht Frankfurt, with Suat Serdar heading in a cross from Dodi Lukebakio.

Frankfurt, who have opened up their season with heavy losses to Bayern Munich and against Real Madrid in the midweek Super Cup, hit back just after halftime when Daichi Kamada took advantage of a Hertha defensive mistake to bring the score to 1-1.

Frankfurt had a late penalty overturned on VAR and Hertha held on to pick up their first point of the season.

In Sinsheim, Hoffenheim came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 against an impressive Bochum.

The game started furiously, with Bochum's Simon Zoller scoring in the 10th and 13th minute, before Hoffenheim's Christoph Baumgartner got one back for the home side in the 14th minute.

Former Liverpool defender Ozan Kabak equalised in the 23rd minute, looping a header into the top left corner of the net for his first Hoffenheim goal.

Hoffenheim had a chance to hit the lead in the 58th minute when they were awarded the first penalty of the Bundesliga season, but Bochum keeper Manuel Riemann saved well from Andrej Kramaric to keep the score 2-2.

The homeside took the lead in the 88th minute through a header to Munas Dabbur and held on for their first win of the season.

On Friday, Dortmund scored three goals in the last 15 minutes away at Freiburg to win 3-1.

In Saturday's late game, promoted Schalke welcome Borussia Moenchengladbach to the Veltins Arena.

(B.Hartmann--BBZ)