The Argentinian has been out of favour with coach Louis van Gaal this season, but an injury crisis meant he had to play in the 4-2 win over Freiburg.

And he made an impact, scoring the goal which set Bayern on their way to victory.

"It was important for me to show that I am still alive," he said on the club's website. "Thank God I was able to help the team with my first goal.

"A football career is like this. I have got to learn from this situation.

"I am thankful to be at Bayern. I have been here for eight years and I love Bayern."

Demichelis has played 171 games for the club since joining in 2003 and could now add to that even though it had seemed certain he would be leaving in the winter.

"Unless a miracle happens, Micho will be staying with Bayern and he will carry on fighting," his agent Adrian de Vicente said on Sport1 television earlier this week.

However, Van Gaal concentrated his praise on Bastian Schweinsteiger.

"Schweinsteiger made the difference in the second half," he said. "He played as the playmaker and held the ball and spread it well.

"He was amazing.

"In the second half, we showed how Bayern Munich can play football and that is the most important thing."