Hasan Salihamidzic pleased with the progress of Bayern Munich midfielder
Bayern Munich sporting director heaps praise on Joshua Kimmich after he scored the winner against Schalke.
This week started on a good note for Bayern Munich as they sealed a place in the DFB Pokal semi-finals by clinching a narrow 1-0 win over Schalke at Veltins Arena. Joshua Kimmich’s first-half strike was enough for Die Roten to move a step towards retaining the trophy.
Kimmich started the game in central defense due to injuries to Jerome Boateng and Lucas Hernandez. The German midfielder was his usual self, delivering an assured performance despite not playing in his favored midfield position.
It has been a fairly solid season for Kimmich at Bayern. The German international is finally fulfilling his desire to consistently get minutes in central midfield. Kimmich has been fairly consistent in the number six role and looks to be Bayern’s long term player in that position.
Hasan Salihamidzic spoke glowingly about the German midfielder after the win against Schalke. Speaking to Bild, Salihamidzic admitted that Kimmich has become a world-class player and also become a leader in this team.
"“He simply can do everything. The boy is very, very good. He has developed into a leader in the past years. I talk to him often: when he looks back on the last few years, he has developed into a strong personality, he has improved in every one of his strengths.”“Everywhere you put him, he is world-class. That is how he has to continue — he has realized that he always has to concentrate. He wants to win every game, I like that about him. He’s a total pro.”"
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Bayern tried to sign a number six in the summer. They reportedly approached Espanyol to sign Marc Roca, but a transfer never materialized. Kimmich started the season as a right-back, but as the season progressed, Benjamin Pavard was moved in the right-back position. Pavard’s positional switch allowed Kimmich to play in the midfield.
Since then, Kimmich has not looked back. Die Roten have compromised his output in the right-back position, but they look much more assured in the midfield due to his presence. His long and short-range passing helps in dictating the tempo of the game. Moreover, Kimmich’s new role allows Thiago Alcantara to play in the dynamic number eight role.
Apart from being a terrific midfielder, Kimmich also demands the best from players around him. He is never afraid of mincing his words when the team doesn’t perform well. Moreover, he is very vocal on the pitch when things are not going in his team’s favour. He surely has the qualities to lead Die Roten in the future.
Next. Four takeaways as Bayern Munich narrowly get past Schalke. dark
Bayern will be hoping that Kimmich remains fit for the rest of the season. He will be an important player for the defending Bundesliga champions when they come up against some of the best midfielders in the Champions League. Rekordmeister have a decent chance to bring the CL trophy back to Allianz Arena, and Kimmich has a big role to play for it to happen.