Ahead of the Real Madrid match: Baumgartner returns to the RB Leipzig roster

Christoph Baumgartner is back on the RB Leipzig roster. The Austrian national team soccer player completed the full training regimen during the final practice session at the training academy on Cottaweg in Leipzig and could therefore be an option off the bench for Wednesday’s Champions League match against Real Madrid (9:00 p.m./DAZN). 

The 27-year-old attacking midfielder suffered a muscle injury in his right thigh while playing for the national team in early June and was therefore forced to withdraw from the World Cup. 

Baumgartner Better Than Diomande

Last season, Baumgartner was considered the team’s playmaker and a stabilizing force for the Saxon Bundesliga club. He was the league’s fifth-leading scorer and, with 13 goals and 10 assists, outperformed Yan Diomande, who transferred to Real Madrid for a 125 million euro transfer fee. The Ivorian tallied 21 scoring points (12 goals/9 assists) for RB last season, while Baumgartner had 23. Now he could bring stability to Martín Demichelis’s team, which has been plagued by inconsistent performances. 

Baumgartner was also part of the team’s only point earned so far at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. In the 2023–2024 season, RB managed a 1–1 draw in Madrid in the Champions League but was then eliminated in the round of 16 after a 0–1 loss at home.