Christoph Baumgartner marked his long-awaited return to action for RB Leipzig with an assist in Wednesday evening’s 4-1 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid before offering glowing praise for former teammate Yan Diomande.
The Austrian international entered in the 78th minute at the Santiago Bernabéu, making his first competitive appearance in more than four months after a serious tendon injury also cost him the opportunity to represent his country at the 2026 World Cup.
Baumgartner required only seven minutes to make an impact. The 27-year-old supplied Tidiam Gomis with an excellent outside-of-the-foot pass for Leipzig’s only goal of the evening. For Baumgartner, however, simply returning to the pitch carried considerably greater significance.
“It was a very emotional day for me, in a game like this, against an opponent like this, in a stadium like this – it’s extremely cool,” Baumgartner said after the match. “I’ve been through the most difficult phase of my career, perhaps even of my life. It’s unbelievably fun to be back on the pitch.”
The comeback comes after a difficult summer interrupted what had comfortably been Baumgartner’s strongest season since joining Leipzig. The former Hoffenheim midfielder registered 13 goals and ten assists in the Bundesliga last term before suffering the injury that ruled him out of the World Cup and Leipzig’s entire preseason.
Baumgartner’s return also represented another significant step in a remarkable turnaround from where his Leipzig career stood little more than a year ago. The Austrian rejected reported interest from Crystal Palace in August 2025 and publicly reiterated his desire to remain at Leipzig before establishing himself as one of the club’s most productive players.
Baumgartner delighted to reunite with Diomande
Wednesday’s fixture also provided Baumgartner with the opportunity to reunite with former Leipzig teammate Yan Diomande. The Ivorian attacker produced Real Madrid’s fourth goal against his old club, offering another reminder of the ability that made him one of European football’s most coveted young players before leaving Saxony.
Baumgartner has never hidden his admiration for the youngster. Baumgartner praised Diomande as a “top talent” following Leipzig’s 6-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt last December, highlighting not merely the winger’s attacking ability but also his willingness to make recovery runs and contribute defensively. Four months later, Baumgartner went even further by describing Diomande as an “exceptional player with world class potential”.
The reunion thus carried some special significance for Baumgartner.
“I love Yan,” Baumgartner told reporters in the mixed zone. “He’s a wonderful guy and an amazing football player. I’m really happy for him that he can now prove how good he is. All of us in the Leipzig locker room know that he’s one of the best talents in the world. All of you guys in Madrid will have a lot of fun with him.”
“He’s a great player,” Baumgartner continued. “When he gets more confidence and gets more time on the pitch with the other big players, he will show that he’s incredibly good. Also a nice goal from him today. I hope he will score a lot in the future. I wish him all the best.”
