After a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Christoph Baumgartner’s moment finally came when he was subbed on in the 78th minute at the Bernabéu. The Austria international was out for over 140 days, missing the World Cup in North America and RB Leipzig’s pre-season. Now, Baumi is back on the pitch, and has immediately shown what kind of leader he is.

With the Red Bulls trailing 2-0, he came onto the pitch full of determination, clapping to encourage his teammates and urging them to push forward. Baumi was also able to directly impact the game, with last year’s top goal contributor for the Red Bulls (21 goal involvements) setting up Tidiam Gomis’ strike to make it 3-1. He collected the ball from the back of the net and continued to rally his teammates from the centre circle.

“I’m happy to be back. I’m raring to go,” explained Baumi in the mixed zone after the match. It ultimately wasn’t able to inspire a comeback from the Red Bulls, but our vice captain’s return remains important, with head coach Martín Demichelis adding: “He’s a leader and has so much to offer both on and off the ball. You could see that even in the few minutes he played today. We need players like him.”