Bayern Munich star midfielder Joshua Kimmich has accumulated a group of haters over the years.
There is no denying that.
While no one is a perfect player, Kimmich seems to draw the ire of some fans like
no other (except Leon Goretzka, of course). This season, though, it has become evident just how important Kimmich is to what Bayern Munich wants to do with its attack.
Against Mainz 05, Kimmich was a focal point of helping the team create 24 total shots, nine big chances, and an xG of 4.5. On a different day, Bayern Munich walks out of that match with four or five goals, but the Bavarians struggled with their finishing and had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
Kimmich, however, did his part to help power the attack:
🇩🇪 Joshua Kimmich vs Mainz 05:
◉ 185 – Touches
◉ 172 – Total passes
◉ 169 – Open play passes
◉ 133 – Forward passes
◉ 56 – Carries
◉ 36 – Final third entriesEvery one of these numbers is a record by a player in a single Bundesliga match this season. 🤯🔥
FCB #BayernMunich
Part of the reason why Kimmich was able to achieve some of these numbers was because Mainz sat extremely deep and barely had any possession — and this is where those haters come flying back into disparage the numbers as empty.
It should be noted, though, that Kimmich is integral to Bayern Munich’s overall team performance and his patience and control allow the attacking group to be confident that they will get the ball in advantageous positions. The Germany captain is on the ball the most, is consistently looking to get forward and get the ball to the attackers, and has a persistent drive to create chances.
All of that matters to Bayern Munich as a squad and to head coach Vincent Kompany…whether some fans hate him or not.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
