Freiburg disappointment and World Cup dreams for RB Leipzig players | OneFootball

"Very disappointing, but still proud of the season." That's how Assan Ouédraogo summed up head coach Ole Werner's speech in the team huddle following the 4-1 defeat to SC Freiburg, which is probably the most accurate description of the RBL players' mental state after the final whistle.  

After already having managed to secure Champions League qualification last weekend, Leipzig would have liked to have broken the club record for the most points in a league campaign to "put the proverbial cherry on top" as Ole Werner put it in the pre-match press conference. The fact that it didn't end up coming to fruition was, according to those involved, predominantly down to one factor.

1. Off the ball during set pieces

"First of all, let's talk set pieces. We weren't really at the races in that regard today. Overall, we didn't play too badly at all. We were caught napping a bit with the set pieces, and that's why the scoreline looks like it does today," noted Assan. Ole Werner was of the same opinion as the young midfielder: "Today, e weren't as solid as we have been all season in that department."

Up until Freiburg bagged two goals in quick succession from set pieces in the 24th and 26th minutes, the roughly 2,000 RBL travelling fans saw an evenly contested game. After 21 minutes, both sides had had two shots apiece. In the second minute, Yan Diomande had the chance to get the Red Bulls off to the perfect start, but his close-range effort was too central and easily gathered by SCF keeper Noah Atubolu.

Even after Assan responded in immediate fashion, coolly slotting the ball into the bottom right corner after a mazy solo run from Yan, "we were still very much in the game," as Willi Orbán put it. "At half time, we had high hopes, and then we conceded for the third time from a set piece. It was one sucker punch too many today," added Willi.

Ultimately, it was RBL's first loss to SC Freiburg in a competitive fixture since 2019. RB Leipzig ended the season on 65 points, good enough for a third-placed finish. In both 2020/21 and 2023/24, the Red Bulls had the same points tally in the Bundesliga. Next season, our sights will be once again on breaking the record of 67 points from our debut season in the Bundesliga.

2. Assan Ouedraogo stakes claim for World Cup spot

We're proud of the season, since we achieved the goal that we had set for ourselves. We missed the Champions League - so we're looking forward to it even more now," concluded Assan fittingly. The midfielder would also be over the moon with a call from Julian Nagelsmann.

Despite being sidelined with an injury for four months, the 20-year-old netted his fourth goal of the season and was the standout player for Leipzig in Freiburg. "I think that Assan is someone who would be able to contribute to any side - including the Germany national team," said Ole Werner with a slight nudge and a wink to the Germany head coach, who is on record as being a big fan of the young talent.

Ole added that, "Assan has played superbly this year. Nobody can deny that. He's come on leaps and bounds and shown how influential he can be for our style of play. Assan is a great young player and he has a big future ahead of him."

3. Germany squad and South Africa tour

On Thursday, 21st May, at 13:00 CEST, the former RBL coach will officially announce his squad for the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada. "Of course, I hope that I'm in it. It would be a dream come true. I still don't know, though - I'll have to wait and see," said Assan who scored a wonderful goal on his national team debut against Slovakia in November 2025 .

Alongside the 20-year-old, David Raum and Ridle Baku will also be watching the squad announcement with keen interest. The first training camp will take place from 27th to 30th May in Herzogenaurach. On 2nd June, the national team players will then travel to the States.

On the subject of international travel, the RBL players will embark on their post-season tour of South Africa after a week off. During their stay there from 26th to 30th May, they will face off against top South African side Mamelodi Sundowns among others.

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