Emotional comeback: How Gwinn's return in the win over Freiburg went

"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 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."

Giulia Gwinn returned from a third knee injury in the 74th minute, ending more than ten weeks of rehabilitation and isolation. The 26-year-old Germany captain’s substitution symbolized determination and a comeback from enforced observation. FC Bayern Women dominated the match, with Vanessa Gilles scoring a 16th-minute header and Lena Oberdorf adding a second-half goal. The performance was controlled and confident against SC Freiburg, the club of Gwinn’s Bundesliga debut, adding symbolic resonance to the return. The applause acknowledged both relief and recognition of Gwinn’s repeated recoveries. Bayern aim to assert domestic dominance and signal European ambitions.

Read at FC Bayern Women