Baumgartner: “We can’t expect to compete at the top like this!”

RB Leipzig midfielder Christoph Baumgartner supported captain David Raum’s strong criticism following the team’s dramatic 2-2 draw with Borussia Dortmund, admitting Leipzig must improve their mentality in decisive moments.

“Raum is the captain, he’s allowed to use harsh words,” Baumgartner said. “He’s right - we have to get a game like today over the line. We didn’t manage to do that.”

Leipzig had controlled large periods of the match and held a two-goal lead, but once again dropped valuable points from a winning position - something Baumgartner believes must change if the club wants to compete for major honors.

“We can’t expect to compete at the very top if we give away games like today,” he admitted. “Sometimes, in the 87th minute, you have to go to the corner flag and run down the clock. That’s part of winning.We’ve lost 18 points after taking the lead - that’s simply not acceptable.”

Despite the disappointment, Baumgartner reflected positively on his own performance, having scored twice with intelligent movement inside the penalty area.

“I have a good feeling for where the ball will arrive in the box,” he explained. “I’ve spoken about that a lot with my friend Michael Gregoritsch. He always says, ‘We earn our money at the near post and score goals,’ and that worked perfectly for me today.”

Baumgartner also offered a fair assessment of the controversial penalty decision awarded to Dortmund late in the match.

“I think you can give the penalty for Dortmund and Adeyemi,” he said. “If I were wearing a yellow shirt, I’d also be angry if it wasn’t given. We had some decisions against us too, but this one - you can give it.”

Baumgartner’s comments reflected both frustration and realism within the Leipzig camp, as the team continues to search for the consistency and maturity required to turn strong performances into victories.