Minjae Kim has featured in all Champions League fixtures for Bayern Munich this season along with Dayot Upamecano. In the Der Klassiker
fixture in the Bundesliga, the same pairing started the game. Assistant coach Aaron Danks was asked whether Kim has pipped Jonathan Tah to become Upa’s primary partner in defense this season.“We’ve got three top center-backs. I thought the two that played today, Kim and Upamecano, put in a fantastic performance. I thought they had some really, really good moments.
And Jonathan Tah also had put in two very good performances recently, so we’re blessed with really good players. And they all take their moments to perform for us,” answered Danks (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
Standing in for the recovering Vincent Kompany, Danks is temporarily in charge of the Bayern Munich senior team. He set up the backline with Upa and Kim as the central defenders, with Alphonso Davies and Konrad Laimer completing the defense as the left-back and right-back, respectively. Kim led the backline with a game-high 13 defensive contributions, including seven clearances, killing off dangerous runs by the lethal Dortmund side.
Tah and Kim vary in their profiles as defenders. Kim brings a dimension of raw physical dominance and unrelenting drive in tackles. Tah, on the other hand, is composed and calculated, maintaining constant communication with his teammates. Hiroki Ito has struggled to build rhythm despite having moments of absolute brilliance in both defense and build-up.
However, one defender Bayern are missing is a young talent who can be the backup defender and learn the ropes from these experienced seniors.
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