Yussuf Poulsen scored twice as DFB Cup holders RB Leipzig booked their place in the last 16 with a comfortable 4-0 win over Bundesliga 2's Hamburg.

RB Leipzig 4-0 Hamburg
Goals: 1-0 Poulsen 34' (assist: Simakan 34'), 2-0 Poulsen 37' (assist: Silva), 3-0 Simakan 69' (assist: Forsberg), 4-0 Henrichs 82' (assist: Schlager)

Without respective talismen Christopher Nkunku and Robert Glatzel, Leipzig and Hamburg had their feelers out until the 19th minute, when Miro Muheim smashed a fierce volley against the woodwork. That sparked Leipzig into life as Benjamin Henrichs tested Daniel Heuer Fernandes, shortly before Mohamed Simakan crossed from the right for Poulsen to tap in the opening goal from close range. The Denmark international needed just three minutes to add a second in a near carbon copy of his first, albeit with Andre Silva the provider.

Leipzig attempted to press home their advantage after the restart as Emil Forsberg curled in a shot that Heuer Fernandes did well to keep out. The HSV No.1 then pulled off a miraculous point-blank save to prevent Poulsen completing his hat-trick following good work by substitute Hugo Novoa. Die Roten Bullen shifted up a gear in the closing stages, with Simakan glancing in a Forsberg corner for 3-0. The coup de grâce came by way of a breakaway goal involving substitute Xaver Schlager, who set up Henrichs for an arrowed finish into the bottom corner.

Match stats

• Poulsen scored in a competitive game for the first time since 23 April 2022.
• Forsberg has scored or assisted in three straight matches in all competitions.
• Leipzig have won six of eight home matches this season (D1, L1).
• The holders have reached the final three times in the last four years, but have also gone out at this stage three times in their 10 previous DFB Cup campaigns.
• HSV won the last of their three DFB Cup titles back in 1986/87, with semi-final exits to Freiburg last year and Leipzig in 2018/19 their best runs in the last decade.
• The home team has never won in five renditions of this fixture (four Leipzig victories, one for HSV, and one draw).

Teams

Leipzig: Blaswich - Simakan (Schlager 71') Orban (c) (Gvardiol 46'), Diallo - Henrichs, Kampl, Raum -  Szoboszlai (Novoa 60'), Forsberg (Ba 83') - Poulsen, Silva
Unused subs: Nyland, Haidara
Out: Gulacsi (knee), Halstenberg (suspended), Klostermann (ankle), Laimer (ankle), Nkunku (wrist), Olmo (knee), Werner (illness)
Coach: Marco Rose

Hamburg: Heuer Fernandes - Heyer (Mikelbrencis 74'), Vuskovic, David, Muheim - Reis (Krahn 74'), Meffert (c), Suhonen - Jatta (Amaechi 68'), Königsdörffer (Bilbija 74'), Dompe (Kittel 60')
Unused subs: Raab, Andresen, Schonlau, Zumberi
Out: Glatzel (knock), Heil (foot), Leibold (muscular), Megeed (metatarsal)
Coach: Tim Walter

As it happened

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