Xaver Schlager gave Leipzig the lead, but Leverkusen struck back with Terrier and Schick both scoring inside four minutes just before halftime. Teenage winger Culbreath scored on his top-flight debut deep into stoppage time to round out the victory.

Leipzig fall back to fourth after a second-straight defeat, three points behind second-placed Borussia Dortmund. "It was a really top match. It could've finished 4-4," Leverkusen captain Robert Andrich said. "You can see how we're developing as a team."

On Sunday, champions Bayern Munich need a win at Heidenheim to restore their nine-point lead atop the table over Dortmund. The sides arrived at the Red Bull Arena undermanned, with injuries, suspensions and Africa Cup duties thinning out both squads.

Schlager gave Leipzig the lead after 35 minutes, evading several Leipzig defenders on the edge of the box before guiding a perfect shot just inside the left-hand post.

Leverkusen struck back just five minutes later. Terrier, scorer of an incredible scorpion-kick back-heel last week, levelled things up with a superb glancing header.

Four minutes later, Schick latched onto a Nathan Tella pass and shed a sliding Kosta Nedeljkovic before blasting into the roof of the net. With Leipzig chasing an equaliser, Leverkusen went coast to coast, with 18-year-old Culbreath scoring in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Stuttgart held

Earlier on Saturday, Stuttgart were held to a goalless draw at home by Hoffenheim, falling three points outside the Champions League placings.

Stuttgart had a chance to take the lead just before half-time when Tiago Tomas' close-range effort was saved by Hoffenheim's German goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.

Deniz Undav headed in a free-kick in stoppage time, but his goal was ruled out for a narrow offside. Stuttgart captain Atakan Karazor told DAZN: "We were the better team today, but we just couldn't get it over the line - and when we did, we heard the ref's whistle."

Eintracht Frankfurt's struggles continued with a 1-1 draw away against Hamburg. Frankfurt equalised through Hugo Larsson after Albert Sambi Lokonga had given the hosts an early lead.

Arsenal loanee Fabio Vieira's late winner for Hamburg was ruled out by VAR for offside. Frankfurt, third last season, sit seventh, having struggled defensively this term. No team has conceded more than Frankfurt's 30 goals in the Bundesliga this season.

Promoted after seven seasons in the second division in the summer, Hamburg have been strong at home, with 14 of their 16 points coming at their 57,000-strong Volksparkstadion.

A stoppage-time goal from Andras Schaefer took Union Berlin to a 1-0 win away against 10-man Cologne, helping the eighth-placed side keep pace with the European spots.

Elsewhere, Freiburg came from behind twice to beat Wolfsburg 4-3, despite home striker Dzenan Pejcinovic scoring a hat-trick, while Augsburg and Werder Bremen played out a scoreless draw.

Martin Terrier

Achievements