After making his long-awaited return from injury in Werder Bremen 's 1-1 draw away to 1. FC Köln last week following 483 days on the sidelines, Mitchell Weiser was back at the Weserstadion on Saturday.
The 32-year-old was introduced in the 68th minute and marked his first home appearance in more than a year in unforgettable fashion, curling the ball into the top corner in stoppage time to seal a dramatic 3-2 win over FC Augsburg .
After the final whistle, Weiser's teammates surrounded him, jumping and dancing in celebration, while head coach Daniel Thioune gave the match-winner a big hug. The celebrations continued as Weiser climbed onto the fence to fire up the jubilant home fans.
"I often dreamed about this moment. I wanted to give something back to the fans, the boys and the coach," Weiser said after the game, according to Bild.
"It still feels like a dream. For it to happen here at the Weserstadion is indescribable."
For a long time, it was uncertain if Weiser would ever play for Werder again. His contract was due to expire, but the club eventually extended it by another year in June.
"A lot of things were unclear, which is why it was so emotional for me in Köln [last week]. There weren't many magical moments last season, but in my opinion, Werder are made for games like today. I'm not finished here yet, and I'll never forget this moment."
Thioune was delighted to see Weiser produce such a memorable moment after his lengthy absence.
"'Mitch' is a player with great mentality. He always gives it everything, even in training. I'm just incredibly happy for him because I know myself how difficult it is to come back after such a long time out. To perform like that after 16 months on the sidelines – I simply had to give him a particularly big hug," he said.
With Werder's next game against Borussia Dortmund three weeks away, Weiser has a clear plan.
"Now I want to use the international break to get back into the starting eleven as quickly as possible, because physically I'm still missing a little bit," he said, but added:
"There are no problems football-wise. I haven't lost my touch."
