Timo Werner took his Bundesliga season tally to 25 as RB Leipzig moved back up to third place with a 4-2 away victory against Cologne.

Jhon Cordóba gave the hosts an early advantage with his 12th goal of the season before going off injured. Leipzig fought back to lead at half-time with a Patrik Schick header and Christopher Nkunku’s cool finish from Konrad Laimer’s pass.

Werner put the visitors 3-1 ahead five minutes after the break as the hosts were left completely exposed from their own attacking set-piece. Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulasci caught a free-kick and launched a kick downfield for Werner, who ran clear and finished low past Timo Horn.

Anthony Modeste, who had replaced Cordóba in the first half, pulled a goal back with a brilliant strike from outside the area and made a gesture in tribute to George Floyd which was later shared by Cologne on social media.

Dani Olmo restored Leipzig’s two-goal cushion immediately with his own fine finish from 18 yards. Modeste missed a golden chance to cut the deficit late on, while Werner and Marcel Sabitzer spurned opportunities to extend the lead as Leipzig climbed back into the top four. PA Media

Well, that was a cracking game. In truth, Leipzig seemed able to carve their opponents open at will, and this could have been a thrashing.

But Cologne opened the scoring and offered plenty going forward – and they could have made things very interesting had Anthony Modeste scored with three minutes to go.

Leipzig go back up to third, and even if Bayern look untouchable, they will have their sights on beating Dortmund to second place.

Time for one more Leipzig break, with Forsberg playing in Sabitzer, whose attempted lob is clawed away by Horn. And that’s it!

92 mins: Terodde gets crowded out but wins a corner, which Drexler fires in. Leipzig clear, and break at speed. It’s their thing. Werner is upfield but a tired-looking cross lands closer to Angelino, who goes down with cramp as Horn hoofs it away.

90 mins: Four added minutes. Leipzig have eased off the accelerator, but Cologne look worn out.

88 mins: Forsberg tugs at Hector’s shirt and gets a booking. Cologne with a chance to whip one in, which Hector does, but to no great effect.

BIG MISS! Modeste springs the offside trap (replays suggest it was very tight) and strolls through on goal, only to drag his shot wide of the far post. He may have been a fraction offside; we’ll never know.

86 mins: It feels like this game is petering out, although I wouldn’t bet against it finishing 6-2, or indeed 4-4.

84 mins: Dani Olmo goes off, replaced by Emil Forsberg.

82 mins: Haidara tries to bustle through the Cologne defence but gets stopped, and Sabitzer’s strike from distance is held by Horn.

80 mins: There are dangerous levels of swagger in this Leipzig team.

78 mins: Drexler goes down under Werner’s challenge but the referee waves play on, and Angelino pops up to play Werner in. He goes for power, but sends a rocket of a shot over the bar!

75 mins: More changes for Cologne, with Jorge Mere and Simon Terodde on for Jakobs and Schmitz. The full complement of five subsitutes used by the hosts.

PENALTY? Modeste goes over in the penalty area, and after a moment’s hesitation the referee points to the spot! But Klostermann looks to have got the ball cleanly, and a quick check of VAR clears things up. No penalty! Look how simple VAR can be…

68 mins: Schick heads off after a successful evening. Nagelsmann will be keen to protect the forward, with Youssuf Poulsen out for the rest of the season. Amadou Haidara replaces him.

65 mins: Werner gets in behind the home defence and clicks into gear, accelerating and drawing Czichos in before firing a low shot that Horn parries clear. Schick’s follow-up flies off target, but Leipzig are having fun here.

62 mins: This game has the feel of one of those Masters six-a-side affairs that used to be on Sky all summer. Absolutely scorching goals, one after the other, to a soundtrack of polite applause. Not that I’m complaining, you understand.

61 mins: Dominick Drexler’s first involvement is a high and late tackle for which he is booked. Leipzig are unhappy advantage wasn’t played, with Werner picking up the loose ball. Nkunku then works his way into the area, and goes down under pressure – but the referee isn’t buying it.

59 mins: Let’s take a moment. For Cologne, Drexler and Thielmann are on for Kainz and Rexhbecaj. For Leipzig, Tyler Adams replaces Laimer, who set up their second goal.

This is getting silly now. Moments after Cologne get back in it, they switch off again at a corner, allowing Dani Olmo to pick his spot and lash the ball home from the edge of the area!

This is an outrageous finish from Anthony Modester. Klostermann’s miscued header landed at the forward’s feet, and from 20 yards out he lashes the ball past Gulacsi!

52 mins: Oof, Cologne so nearly strike back through Shkiri, whose shot squirms away from Gulacsi. Angelino gets back to hack the loose ball away …

Seconds later, Leipzig score their third! Gulacsi saw Werner motoring upfield and picked him out with a brilliant clearance. Werner took the ball down, raced clear and slotted past the helpless Horn. Lethal!

49 mins: Jakobs goes to ground and Cologne get a free-kick. Kainz whips it in, but Gulacsi claims comfortably …

48 mins: Leipzig began as they ended the first half, pressing and probing away. Cologne look a little flat-footed by comparison.

We’re back under way.

Monday’s Football Weekly takes in Project Restart, and a look back to That Night in Barcelona:

Leipzig have fought back from a goal down to lead after a very enjoyable first 45 minutes. Back soon.

48 mins: But they hold out and break at pace, Modeste denied by a last-ditch challenge as he tried to pull the ball back across goal to Jakobs. Leipzig clear the corner.

47 mins: Angelino, the standout performer for Leipzig so far, scurries to the byline but can’t lift the ball back to Schick. Cologne are on the ropes here …

45 mins: Three added minutes, largely due to the injury to Cordoba.

43 mins: Kainz swings in a corner which Shkiri meets at the near post but can only hoof comically into the stands.

41 mins: Angelino almost connects with Schick again as Leipzig look to deepen Cologne’s misery. The hosts have been punished for a couple of lapses since going 1-0 up.

There seemed to be very little danger as both sides indulged in head tennis near the halfway line. The ball fell to Laimer, who shimmied past a challenge and played a perfect through ball to Nkunku, who lifted the ball over Horn and into the net!

Not for long! Leipzig burst into life and Christopher Nkunku applies the finishing touch.

37 mins: A bit of a lull with half-time approaching.

33 mins: Katterbach’s loose pass gives Leipzig the chance to break, Angelino switching play to Nkunku, and Sabitzer’s cross deflecting behind. Angelino’s corner is punched away by Timo Horn.

30 mins: Cologne bullying their opponents in midfield, although Toni Leistner goes too far and earns a booking for a heavy challenge.

27 mins: Cologne try to test the Leipzig defence anew, sending up a series of high balls. Gulacsi skews a couple of clearances, and doesn’t look too confident with the ball at his feet.

25 mins: Werner gets into space down the right, but his cross is deflected behind and Cologne deal with the corner. Still, Leipzig have momentum after that shoddy start.

23 mins: That is indeed that for Cordoba, who looks to have made things worse by coming back on. Modeste replaces him up front.

20 mins: Cordoba comes back on but he’s clearly still struggling, and surely won’t be able to continue.

Upamecano had the freedom of the midfield and swept the ball left to Angelino. The former Manchester City man lifted in a superb cross, and Patrik Schick was on hand to head home!

And while Cordoba is off the pitch, Leipzig equalise!

18 mins: Bad news for Cordoba, who goes down injured and may need to come off. Anthony Modeste is warming up as Cordoba gets treatment …

15 mins: Leipzig have been rocked by that early concession, a free-kick routine unravelling as they search for cohesion.

12 mins: Cordoba gets the chance to double Cologne’s lead, but can’t direct his header beyond Gulacsi from Jakobs’ cross.

That’s Cordoba’s 12th goal of the season, and has Leipzig in a spot of bother already. Horn comes off his line to punch clear a free-kick.

It looked like the chance had gone as the ricochet evaded Jakobs at the far post, but Jhon Cordoba collects the ball six yards out, turns and fires into the roof of the net!

6 mins: Rexhbecaj gets in behind the Leipzig defence, his toe-poke goes through Gulacsi, but the ball hits the inside of the post. No matter …

What a save! Angelino swings a fantastic diagonal ball across the pitch to Nkunku, whose cutback finds Werner. He fires towards the far corner, but Horn gets his boot in the way!

3 mins: A leisurely start, with the visitors working the ball around midfield.

Here we go, then. Cologne in white shirts and red shorts, RB Leipzig in a tasteful navy number.

Not too long to go now. This will be the first Bundesliga game played in the month of June for 25 years. Truly, these are different times.

Catch up on Schalke, Sancho and all the other weekend talking points with Andy Brassell’s weekly Bundesblog:

Cologne (4-2-3-1): Horn; Schmitz, Czichos, Leistner, Katterbach; Skhiri, Hector; Kainz, Rexhbecaj, Jakobs; Cordoba.
Subs: Kessler, Drezler, Hoger, Mere, Ehizibue, Schindler, Thielmann, Modeste, Terodde.

Leipzig (3-4-2-1): Gulacsi; Mukiele, Upamecano, Klostermann; Nkunku, Sabitzer, Laimer, Angelino; Olmo, Werner; Schick.
Subs: Mvogo, Adams, Orban, Wolf, Forsberg, Haidara, Lookman, Krauss.

European football’s spring shutdown came at a particularly bad time for RB Leipzig, who had just swept Spurs aside to reach the Champions League quarter finals, and were still in the Bundesliga title race despite a couple of stumbles.

Since the restart, Julian Nagelsmann’s men have been held at home by Freiburg and Hertha Berlin, while Bayern have disappeared over the horizon. Leipzig kick off here in fifth place, under pressure to book a return ticket for Europe’s elite competition.

This could be another test of nerve, with Cologne safe in mid-table after a winter revival under new coach Markus Gisdol. Cologne haven’t won since the restart but have offered plenty of attacking threat and entertainment.

The Billy Goats lost a two-goal lead against Mainz, dramatically grabbed a draw at home to Fortuna Düsseldorf, then lost at Hoffenheim in a four-goal, two-red-card showdown. So, this should be good. Kick-off 8.30pm local, 7.30pm BST.