Hertha stun hosts Leipzig as Bundesliga breaks for winter

Soccer Football - Bundesliga - RB Leipzig vs Hertha Berlin - Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany - December 17, 2017 Hertha Berlin’s Fabian Lustenberger in action with RB Leipzig's Naby Keita REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

BERLIN (Reuters) - RB Leipzig suffered their first home loss of the season on Sunday, going 3-2 down to 10-man Hertha Berlin, to leave leaders Bayern Munich with a comfortable 11-point advantage going into the winter break.

Leipzig had hoped to reclaim second spot and cut Bayern's lead to 10 but instead now drop to fifth on 28 with the Bundesliga resuming on Jan. 12.

They were already trailing 2-0 by the 31st minute with Davie Selke and Salomon Kalou on target for the visitors, who were down to 10 men since the seventh minute following the dismissal of Jordan Torunarigha.

Soccer Football - Bundesliga - RB Leipzig vs Hertha Berlin - Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany - December 17, 2017 RB Leipzig's Willi Orban (not pictured) scores their first goal past Hertha Berlin’s Rune Jarstein REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

Selke grabbed his second goal six minutes after the restart and had a golden chance for a hat-trick when he charged through with only keeper Peter Gulacsi to beat, but he only managed to hit the post.

Willi Orban's glancing header gave the hosts some hope and Marcel Halstenberg headed in another in stoppage time but Hertha hung on for only their second win on the road this season.

Jamaican winger Leon Bailey scored twice on the break but Bayer Leverkusen drew 4-4 at Hanover 96 in a pulsating match.

Soccer Football - Bundesliga - RB Leipzig vs Hertha Berlin - Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany - December 17, 2017 RB Leipzig's Timo Werner in action REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

The 20-year-old, a major transfer target for several top Premier League clubs, single-handedly pulled Leverkusen back from 3-2 down after coming on as a substitute, drilling in two almost identical goals in the 47th and 67th minutes.

Hanover's Julian Korb snatched an 83rd minute equaliser but the result stretched Leverkusen's unbeaten run to 12 league games and kept them in fourth on 28 points.

Bayern Munich are top on 41 after their 1-0 victory at VfB Stuttgart.

Soccer Football - Bundesliga - RB Leipzig vs Hertha Berlin - Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany - December 17, 2017 Hertha Berlin’s Alexander Esswein in action with RB Leipzig's Naby Keita and Willi Orban REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

Soccer Football - Bundesliga - RB Leipzig vs Hertha Berlin - Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany - December 17, 2017 Hertha Berlin’s Davie Selke scores their third goal REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

Soccer Football - Bundesliga - RB Leipzig vs Hertha Berlin - Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany - December 17, 2017 RB Leipzig and Hertha Berlin players remonstrate with referee Frank Willenborg REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

Soccer Football - Bundesliga - RB Leipzig vs Hertha Berlin - Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany - December 17, 2017 RB Leipzig's Bruma in action with Hertha Berlin’s Alexander Esswein REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

Soccer Football - Bundesliga - RB Leipzig vs Hertha Berlin - Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany - December 17, 2017 RB Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhuettl REUTERS/Axel Schmidt