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Hertha, seeking only a second win of the season to pull away from the drop zone, was on the back foot immediately as a hungry Leipzig piled on the pressure.

There were 25 minutes on the clock when Emil Forsberg flicked Dominik Szoboszlai’s cross in to open the scoring. Szoboszlai was the architect of Leipzig’s second less than five minutes later, curling in a corner which Abdou Diallo got his head to. Agustin Rogel could only help the ball on before David Raum got the last touch to the ball before the net rippled.

It then became the day of magical Magyars as Willi Orban rounded off an excellent first half for Leipzig, tucking the ball in from close range after Andre Silva’s shot rebounded off the post to the Hungarian’s feet.

Hertha was gifted a route back into the game when Jonjoe Kenny’s cross struck the arm of Diallo inside the penalty area, and Dodi Lukebakio scored the spot-kick.

Stevan Jovetic struck a second within a matter of minutes, turning and volleying into the bottom left-hand corner to stun the home team, which only moments earlier had appeared to be cruising.

Jovetic almost brought Hertha level with a far-post header which bounced over the unguarded goal after Janis Blaswich missed the cross.

In contrast to the first half, it was now Leipzig on the back foot, although Christopher Nkunku could have relieved the pressure when he rounded Oliver Christensen, but Lukebakio lunged to get a telling touch to turn his shot against the post.

On the break, Kevin Kampl covered behind Blaswich to turn Chidera Ejuke’s shot off the line, before Nkunku did find the back of the net, only to be denied by the offside flag.

Hertha lived to fight another five minutes, and Wilfried Kanga nearly snatched an equaliser deep into stoppage-time when he struck the inside of the right-hand post with almost the final touch of a pulsating match.