The moment when Giulia Gwinn stood on the touchline, adjusted her jersey once last time and briefly turned her gaze to the sky was one that quietly, almost in passing, became part of the story of this evening of football. And yet it was anything but a casual one. It was the 74th minute in a match that FC Bayern Women had long been in control of when something like a second kick-off took place at the FC Bayern Campus. After more than ten weeks out following the third knee injury of her career, the 26-year-old Germany captain made her return to the pitch. It was a moment that meant far more than simply returning to playing duties. For Gwinn, it once again marked a return from isolation, from rehab, from the enforced role of observer. And once again proof of the sheer willpower she possesses. The applause that accompanied her at that moment didn't just sound like relief. It was also a tribute to a player who had once again fought her way back.
The fact that her return took place against SC Freiburg of all teams, the club where Gwinn once made her Bundesliga debut, lent the evening additional symbolic power. The match itself was tipped in a clear direction quite early on. Vanessa Gilles made it 1-0 with a header in the 16th minute and Lena Oberdorf doubled the lead in the second half. It was a controlled and, for the most part, confident performance by the reigning double winners against the side from the Breisgau region, who had made such a strong start to the season. However, the game was also a sign that FC Bayern not only want to set the standard domestically this season, but also to make their own European ambitions clear.
But for one or two spectators in the north of Munich, the real highlight of the evening may have been something else. It was the moment when Gwinn got her first touch after coming on as a substitute: a composed pass into the centre, a quick glance, a few steps into the free space. Nothing spectacular, and yet the ball seemed to slow down for a moment. As if even it sensed that something special was happening here.
In the 80th minute, Gwinn was right in the middle of the goal celebration that followed the 3-0. Lea Schüller, played into space by new signing Gilles and European champion Georgia Stanway, fired home from distance. Freiburg keeper Laura Benkarth got a touch on the ball, but it went in anyway. Arms flew up, including Gwinn's. For the first time this season, she had reason to celebrate again - at least on the pitch. It was no coincidence that she applauded for a long time afterwards. Not just for the goal. For everything that had been necessary up to this point to experience that moment. "I'm very, very happy about my comeback," she said after the match. "It was another long period of suffering where I had to endure a lot. It wasn't exactly easy, especially after missing the European Championship. That's why I felt all the emotions today. And I'm just really happy to be back with the team."
A comeback to inspire hope
The inner ligament injury in her left knee, sustained in the opening match of the European Championship against Poland at the beginning of July, had once again set Gwinn back. It was the third time in her career that the knee was the cause of an enforced break, and yet she had picked herself up each time, worked her way back and never lost her way. Even on this September evening, there was already an inkling of how important she would become again: For FC Bayern, for the national team, for all those who value stability, technique and tactical maturity in the modern women's game.
And now? Giulia Gwinn is back. Not yet as a mainstay for 90 minutes, but as part of a team who look a bit more complete with her back. The big games are coming. In the Bundesliga, in the Champions League and also in the DFB Cup. For instance, next Monday evening sees the first clash with Borussia Dortmund. And perhaps it'll be precisely her story that will carry FC Bayern Women on their way to a successful season. After all, anyone who has fought back as often as Gwinn not only has class, but also unique character.
The match report on the win against Freiburg:
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