Jamal Musiala is back—and how! In FC Bayern’s 5-0 victory over Bodø/Glimt, the 23-year-old made his return to the starting lineup and put Munich on the path to victory shortly after halftime with his goal to make it 1-0. At the same time, Musiala scored the German record champions’ historic 900th European Cup goal.
Ahead of the Champions League opener, however, there was intense debate over whether starting him might still be too soon. Musiala had previously played more than 30 minutes in the 0-0 draw at Schalke following his return.
Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund made it clear even before kickoff, however, that from the club’s perspective, there were no medical concerns about him starting.
“No risk from a medical standpoint!” Freund declared. The 49-year-old added: “Otherwise, he wouldn’t be training or playing. Everyone is familiar with the situation now, but we can assess it well, and that’s why we’re very, very happy that he’s back in the starting lineup.”
“He’s trained really well over the last 10 to 14 days.”
According to the sporting director, signs that Musiala would be allowed to play from the start had already become apparent on the training field.
As Freund revealed, Musiala “has trained really well over the last 10 to 14 days. There were no issues, so everything is fine in that regard, and I’m personally very happy that he’s back in the starting lineup.”
Vincent Kompany had also emphasized before the match that Musiala’s selection for the starting lineup was based on his performance. The attacking player had earned his spot through his efforts in training.
On the field, Musiala justified that trust. After a scoreless first half, he struck immediately after the second-half kickoff. A deflected shot by Harry Kane found its way to the German international, who fired the ball into the top left corner to give his team the lead.
For Musiala, it was not only his first goal of the season but also an emotional moment after the difficult past few weeks.
Freund doesn’t think Musiala has reached his full potential yet
Despite the successful performance, FC Bayern doesn’t want to make the mistake of immediately expecting Musiala to return to his absolute peak form.
When asked if the 23-year-old is already back to his old self, Freund pointed to the past few months: “He suffered a serious injury. Now the plate has been removed. He had a really good preseason, but then there were these issues during the games. But he’s in good spirits and on his way there.”
Musiala himself made similar comments after the 5-0 victory. The star forward was especially pleased to have found his rhythm again.
“Everyone’s support has really helped me. I just want to get back to performing at my best.”
Musiala himself knows that his journey back to his former form isn’t quite complete yet. “There are still steps to take. I’m looking forward to that, but having fun with the team on the field is the most important thing,” said the Bayern star.
In any case, his performance against Bodø/Glimt was another big step forward. A return to the starting lineup, his first goal of the season, and Bayern’s historic 900th European Cup goal: The evening could hardly have gone better for Musiala.