Stephan Lichtsteiner has taken no time finding his stride after a month on the sidelines following heart surgery, scoring a wonderfully struck volley in Juventus’s 1-1 draw with Borussia Mönchengladbach on Tuesday.
The Switzerland full-back had suffered breathing problems in the match against Frosinone in September and tests indicated he was suffering from an atrial flutter which required an operation.
Lichtsteiner was ruled out for a month to recover and had only two days’ training with the team before resuming his place in Massimiliano Allegri’s starting lineup against the German side.
On 44 minutes he marked his return by finishing Paul Pogba’s scooped through-ball with a powerful volley which helped secure a valuable point as Juventus closed in on the Champions League second round.
“The match was really important for us and I really wanted to help the team,” said Lichtsteiner after scoring his first goal in the competition.
The strike helped 10-man Juve strengthen their grip on a qualification place, although Manchester City took over top spot in Group D following their 3-1 win against Sevilla.
