Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner has said he felt a duty to help his teammates as he marked his return from a heart operation with a crucial Champions League goal on Tuesday.
Lichtsteiner, 31, has spent the last month on the sidelines after surgery was deemed necessary when he complained of breathing difficulties.
A surprise starter at Borussia Monchengladbach, the Swiss defender justified coach Massimiliano Allegri's faith in him with the equaliser in a 1-1 draw 40 days after his last appearance.
"It was important for me to come back immediately, even after only two training sessions -- there was no way I could leave the team in the lurch in such a delicate moment," he told Mediaset.
"I want to lend a hand to the team. We wanted to win, but given the way the game went, and with the red card [for Hernanes after a challenge on Alvaro Dominguez], the result's fine."
The point means Juve, who have struggled in Serie A this season, can join Manchester City in the Champions League round of 16 if they beat them at home.
If they fail to do so, a draw at Sevilla in their final group game will suffice.
But Allegri was irritated that Alvaro Morata was reprimanded by the referee for wearing odd socks.
"You can't have a player who has to come off the field to change his socks because they are not identical," he said.
"The rules are the rules and I'm very angry about this. If you want to go somewhere in the Champions League, you need to play better and have the right attitude, and we don't have this yet."
Juve travel to Empoli on Sunday, looking to cut the nine-point gap to league leaders Inter Milan and Fiorentina prior to the international break.