João Palhinha pleased with start to life at Bayern Munich

The matchday three of the Bundesliga marked the first competitive start for João Palhinha at Bayern Munich. The Portuguese international started against Holstein Kiel on Saturday alongside Joshua Kimmich in the center of the park.

Palhinha had to wait patiently for his opportunity as Kompany adopted a patient approach to integrate him into the squad. The 29-year-old midfielder came off the bench in the first two league games before getting the chance to start against Holstein Kiel.

The former Fulham midfielder did a fine job in Kiel. He is expected to start regularly in the coming weeks, as Bayern play two games every week. Bayern identified Palhinha as the ideal option to strengthen the number six position in the summer.

Despite a slow start to the season, Palhinha is upbeat about life in Munich. While talking to TZ (via iMiaSanMia) after the win against Holstein Kiel, Palhinha insisted that he was not concerned after getting less game time during the first three competitive games of the season. The Portuguese believes the gradual process of integration will help him succeed at one of the biggest clubs in Europe.

"I wasn't disappointed. I'm at the best club in the world. It's part of a process. I can be proud"

- João Palhinha

Palhinha will improve Bayern defensively this season

Palhinha has been one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League over the last two seasons. The Portuguese midfielder may not have the expansive passing range, but he is very good out of possession. He shows great anticipation to make perfect tackles and interceptions, which helps in improving the team defensively.

Bayern struggled away from home last season, defensively capitulating in games when they lost a bit of control. Palhinha will help in improving Bayern’s performances away from home. It will be intriguing to see how he does in the big Champions League games later this season.

Die Roten and Vincent Kompany will need Palhinha to improve on the ball. The Portuguese midfielder is tidy with short passes, but he may have to get better when it comes to playing direct or line-breaking passes. A slow integration into the team was needed for Palhinha to get used to the philosophy of Kompany. Moreover, he is playing in a completely different league than the Premier League.

Palhinha looked solid with Joshua Kimmich in the midfield against Holstein Kiel. They complemented each other’s strengths and masked the flaws. Palhinha will certainly play with other midfielders at Die Roten, but he is likely to start regularly with Kimmich in the coming weeks after the solid performance in Kiel.