Christoph Baumgartner starts first match since injury vs Man City

“He knows what he is capable of,” Georg Teigl said.

After four substitute appearances since returning to the pitch, Baumgartner was named in the starting lineup against Manchester City. He operated as an attacking midfielder in the No. 8/No. 10 role within Martin Demichelis’s 4-3-3 system, and he underlined his return with two eye-catching long-range shots.

Two strikes from distance, one denied by Donnarumma

Baumgartner took his chances from outside the box, and one effort was denied only by a remarkable save from Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. “He leads with responsibility,” CANAL+ expert Johnny Ertl said.

Despite Baumgartner’s display, Leipzig could not prevent the narrow 2-3 loss. After 53 minutes, the Austrian was replaced by Christopher Nkunku as part of a load-management plan. “His performance today was very strong,” Ertl said of Baumgartner’s outing.

Teigl sees a step back toward old strength

The midfielder’s return to the lineup from the opening whistle marked a clear escalation in his playing time after the injury layoff.

Three goals and an assist in 144 minutes since the comeback

Since his return from injury, Baumgartner has now played 144 minutes on the pitch, according to LAOLA1’s tally. He has scored three goals and added one assist in that span — a goal contribution every 36 minutes. The Manchester City start was his first from the beginning, following four shorter substitute outings.

The 2-3 result leaves Leipzig without a win in that match, but Baumgartner’s 53-minute performance, featuring two spectacular distance shots and a flawless display in the attacking midfield, drew praise from experts who called it another step toward his previous level.