Assan Ouédraogo Shines for RB Leipzig and German National Team

This season has exceeded all expectations for RB Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouédraogo. The 19-year-old made an impressive impact by scoring just two minutes into his debut for the German national team on Tuesday, held at the Red Bull Arena, his club’s home stadium. In the following Bundesliga match against Werder Bremen, Ouédraogo struck a stunning goal that secured a 1-0 victory for his team.

However, in his post-match interview, Ouédraogo expressed that this goal was not the finest of his career. Reflecting on his time in the DFB youth ranks, he remarked, “I’ve scored two better ones: one during the U-19 European Championship with a drop kick into the corner, and another in the U-15 where I scored directly from the kickoff. This one was a bit lucky. I try to play my game, and things are certainly going well at the moment, but I’m having some luck, and I’ll take that too.”

“It’s been a perfect week,” he continued. “Two goals, two wins, and two clean sheets. It doesn’t get any better than this.”

Ouédraogo’s resurgence perfectly mirrors the narrative of his club this season. Newly appointed head coach Ole Werner initially struggled after a challenging 6-0 loss to FC Bayern Munich on opening night. Despite speculation regarding transfers over the summer that strained relationships within the club, Austrian midfielder Christoph Baumgartner, who provided an assist for Leipzig’s second goal, has been instrumental in revitalizing the team.

Both Baumgartner and Werner praised Ouédraogo’s recent performances in their respective post-match comments. “I’m very happy for him because he had a difficult time in his first year,” Baumgartner stated. “He’s currently on a high, inspired by the national team and his goals. That’s no coincidence—he’s a dedicated player who now believes in himself and is fit. That goal was an expression of pure quality.”

Werner added, “It’s special to work with young players who perform like this. You observe them improving every day in training and matches, which is incredibly rewarding. Assan has developed superbly so far, but he’s certainly not near the peak of his potential yet.”