Assan Ouédraogo guides RB Leipzig to victory against Werder Bremen
RB Leipzig continued their perfect home form with a 2-0 win over Werder Bremen on Matchday 11. Assan Ouédraogo and Xaver Schlager scored the goals for Ole Werner's men against their boss' former side.
RB Leipzig 2–0 Werder Bremen
Goals: 1-0 Ouédraogo 64‘ (assist: Baku), 2-0 Schlager 80‘ (assist: Baumgartner)
Ole Werner faced his former club as Leipzig welcomed in-form Bremen to the Red Bull Arena. The hosts had won all four of their home matches this season, while Bremen arrived unbeaten in five games.
Werner made two changes to his Leipzig side, with Castello Lukeba returning in defence and Conrad Harder making his first Bundesliga start. Bremen's Horst Steffen opted for just one change from their victory against Wolfsburg, bringing in Cameron Puertas for Justin Njinmah. The occasion was special for Péter Gulácsi, who was making his 350th competitive appearance for Leipzig.
First-half frustration
Leipzig dominated the opening exchanges, with Ridle Baku and Ouédraogo forcing early saves from Bremen goalkeeper Mio Backhaus. The hosts' best opportunity came in the 26th minute when Baku somehow dragged his effort wide from close range after good work from Baumgartner.
Werner's side continued to probe, with Ouédraogo particularly lively, twice testing Backhaus with low drives from outside the box. Bremen offered little attacking threat, though Senne Lynen did fire one effort wide early on.
As half-time approached, Baumgartner's deflected shot looked destined for goal until Backhaus produced a spectacular fingertip save to ensure the teams went in level.
Leipzig breakthrough
Bremen emerged from the interval with renewed purpose, immediately creating danger as Marco Friedl's low cross almost found Keke Topp sliding in at the far post.
The visitors' best chance came in the 59th minute when Jens Stage broke clear on the counter-attack, only for Yan Diomande to produce a magnificent last-ditch tackle.
That intervention proved crucial as Leipzig broke the deadlock just four minutes later. Baku found Ouédraogo, who shifted the ball onto his left foot before unleashing an unstoppable strike into the top corner from distance.
Bremen struggled to recover from that blow, and despite a triple substitution from Steffen, Leipzig sealed victory in the 80th minute when substitute Xaver Schlager reacted quickest to turn home from close range after Baumgartner's initial header wasn't cleared.
Man of the Match: Assan Ouédraogo
The young German midfielder was the standout performer, demonstrating why he's considered one of the Bundesliga's brightest talents. Ouédraogo was a constant threat throughout, registering five shots before his spectacular breakthrough goal changed the complexion of the match.
Beyond his decisive strike, he showed composure under pressure, escaping numerous tight situations and creating opportunities for teammates. His withdrawal in stoppage time was met with a standing ovation from the Red Bull Arena faithful, a fitting tribute to a match-winning performance that earned him 323 Fantasy Manager points – the highest among Leipzig players.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: RB Leipzig 2.18 - Werder Bremen 1.29
Fastest player: Justin Njinmah (Bremen), 35.33 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Assan Ouédraogo (Leipzig), 3 percent
Most pressed player: Yan Diomande (Leipzig), 35 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Yukinari Sugawara (Bremen), +5.5
Fantasy Heroes: Mio Backhaus (Werder Bremen, 328 points), Assan Ouédraogo (Leipzig, 323 points), Christoph Baumgartner (Leipzig, 287 points)
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