Stephan Lichtsteiner apparently isn’t interested in easing his way back from heart surgery. Instead, he hits his stride right away.
Lichtsteiner scored for Juventus on Tuesday in its 1-1 draw with Borussia Monchengladbach in the UEFA Champions League. He had been out of action for a month while recovering from heart surgery but returned to action both unexpectedly and with a bang.
Juventus was trailing 1-0 in the 44th minute when Lichtsteiner ran onto a superb pass from Paul Pogba and volleyed his shot past goalkeeper Yann Sommer, as if he hadn’t missed any time at all.
Lichtsteiner, 31, was suffering from breathing problems earlier this season. Tests determined he had a minor heart defect, and he underwent corrective surgery in early October. He returned to practice last week but sat out Juventus’ win over Torino in Serie A (Italy’s first division).
Most expected Max Allegri to gradually integrate Lichtsteiner back into the team, but the Juventus manager started the Swiss defender against Borussia Monchengladbach. High risk met high reward, as Lichtsteiner, 31, scored his first goal in European soccer’s elite competition.
Lichtsteiner’s goal helped 10-man Juventus secure an important point in the Group D standings. While Juventus fell to second place in Group D because of the draw, Manchester City’s win over Sevilla in the group’s other game leaves the Italian club needing just one point from its next two games to progress to the Round of 16.
Thumbnail photo via Martin Meissner/The Associated Press
