news agency
CANBERRA
With Bastian Schweinsteiger as his role model, Joshua Kimmich is following in his idol’s footsteps at Bayern Munich by becoming the driving force of the European champions.
Kimmich will be at the heart of Bayern’s midfield on Tuesday when they make the trip over the Alps to face Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League.
Kimmich has evolved from a right-back into an uncompromising defensive midfielder, whose full-blooded challenges often win back possession to counter-attack.
On Saturday, in typical fashion, Kimmich robbed Cologne midfielder Ellyes Skhiri of the ball with expert timing and then launched the break which resulted in a Serge Gnabry goal as Bayern earned a 2-1 win and moved top of the Bundesliga.
After Bayern conceded an equaliser at Lokomotiv Moscow last Tuesday, it was Kimmich who stepped up and hit the second-half winner from outside the area.
The 2-1 victory in Moscow preserved Bayern’s 13-match winning streak in the Champions League and for head coach Hansi Flick, Kimmich sums up Bayern’s fighting spirit.
“His mentality is very special. He is well on his way to being one of the players that shape this club,” said Flick after Kimmich scored the winner in September’s German Super Cup triumph over Dortmund. The 25-year-old recently became a father for the second time.
He has grown into a household name in Germany — confirmed when Berlin’s Madame Tussauds announced in June that a wax statue of Kimmich will feature in their football section next year.
He has the innocent looks of a choirboy, yet Kimmich can frequently be seen barking orders at his Bayern team-mates.
