Joshua Kimmich
After failed attempts at landing a number six last summer, Die Roten had to move Joshua Kimmich in central midfield. Pavard’s ability to play as right-back allowed Kimmich to finally play in his favoured position for Bayern.
Kimmich is not an extravagant midfielder that will play line-breaking passes, but his role is very important in the current system under Flick. The German midfielder solid positioning is one of the reasons why central defenders get a much better shielding. He doesn’t engage in physical duels but always remains a step ahead in the game to sniff potential danger in their half.
Since he is playing deep, he is no longer a creative force in the final third. However, he has provided much more balance to the midfield. Kimmich’s presence in midfield has also allowed Thiago to excel in his preferred number eight position. The Spaniard is now linking up with attacking players and slowly becoming a goal threat.
The German international is also coming up from clutch performances in big games, helping Die Roten to dominate the midfield battles. He may not be an influential attacking player now, but his absence will be felt when he is not playing; hopefully, that doesn’t happen anytime soon.