Ouédraogo stunner and Schlager strike seal victory for RB Leipzig

Saturday’s Bundesliga action delivered goal-fests in three matches, but Sunday’s curtain-raiser between RB Leipzig and Werder Bremen began cautiously. 

Playing their first home game in 23 days, Leipzig dominated the first half yet failed to score. 

Teenager Assan Ouédraogo, fresh from scoring on his Germany debut, tested Bremen keeper Mio Backhaus three times, while Christoph Baumgartner’s deflected effort was also repelled.

Bremen emerged transformed after the break. Péter Gulácsi was forced into two sharp saves inside five minutes from Romano Schmid and Cameron Puertas as the visitors suddenly carried the greater threat. 

The game burst into life, becoming a thrilling end-to-end contest. Yan Diomande produced a superb last-ditch tackle to deny Jens Stage, while Marco Grüll cleared off the line at the opposite end.

The deadlock broke in spectacular fashion in the 63rd minute. Nineteen-year-old Ouédraogo hammered an unstoppable drive into the top corner for his third Bundesliga goal, giving Leipzig a deserved lead. 

Bremen almost equalised twenty minutes later when Keke Topp headed in from a corner, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside after another fine Gulácsi stop from Schmid.

With time running out, Leipzig turned to their bench. Having secured a late victory over Wolfsburg before the international break with substitutes Samuel Mbangula and Victor Boniface, Bremen again introduced fresh legs, including Justin Njinmah. 

This time, however, it was the hosts who struck decisively. Conrad Harder had started in the absence of the injured Romulo, but it was his replacement who made the difference.

In the 80th minute, Xaver Schlager latched onto Baumgartner’s flicked header and rifled home a brilliant second, his first Leipzig goal in three years, ironically also against Bremen. 

Fellow substitute Johan Bakayoko spurned several chances to extend the lead, but two goals proved sufficient. 

Leipzig returned to winning ways under new boss Ole Werner, who had guided Bremen to second place earlier in the season. For the visitors, it was a first defeat since their 4-0 thrashing by Bayern Munich on matchday five.