Germany’s national goalkeeper Oliver Baumann expressed deep disappointment following his club TSG Hoffenheim’s devastating 0:5 defeat against RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. This match, which served as an unsuccessful dress rehearsal before upcoming international games, left a bitter taste.
«Today, it truly hurts,» Baumann stated after the match, where his team was already trailing 0:4 by halftime. Despite the heavy loss, he noted that the call-up to the national team is always something he views positively.
Baumann couldn’t explain his team’s rapid collapse against a direct competitor for Champions League spots. «We started extremely strongly, and then they scored the first and second goals relatively easily. That just pulled the plug on us, which absolutely shouldn’t happen,» he said, adding that afterwards, the team «was no longer united for each other.» The evening, according to him, «revealed many aspects where we need to develop.»
The 35-year-old goalkeeper, who debuted for the German national team in 2024, has been called up by Julian Nagelsmann for the upcoming friendly matches against Switzerland (March 27) and Ghana (March 30).
TSG Hoffenheim’s head coach Christian Ilzer confirmed Baumann’s assessment. «It was a very, very bitter evening for us. No later than the first conceded goal, we completely lost control of the game. Leipzig simply pulled the plug on us,» Ilzer commented. He emphasized that these are moments when «one must be very self-critical.»