The nights are always short after Champions League matches. “I got to sleep at half-past two,” Joshua Kimmich revealed to fcbayern.de on the morning after Bayern’s 5-0 gala against Dinamo Zagreb. The youngster made his starting debut in Europe’s elite club competition and completed the full 90 minutes - “and it took me a while to come down afterwards,” he acknowledged, “you do get a bit wound up.”
You would never have known it from the 20-year-old midfielder’s performance. Kimmich excelled as the linchpin with a remarkable 97 percent pass completion. Wound up he may have been, but he certainly wasn’t nervous. “It was more like positive tension and keen anticipation,” said Kimmich, who was only beaten by Thiago and David Alaba for touches of the ball. “Obviously it was great for me to be playing from the start.”
Mirroring his Bundesliga starting debut away to Darmstadt, Kimmich again “played very well” against Zagreb, enthused Bayern boss Pep Guardiola. The summer signing passed the compliments on to his team-mates. “They make it easy for me. When we have so much possession, control the game and take an early lead, it’s all a lot easier.”
Pep: He has the lot
Kimmich has seized his chance, as Guardiola underlined. “He has everything you need to be a top footballer: He’s very intelligent and aggressive in possession, and a good header of the ball. He’s a superb signing for the future of FC Bayern.” Guardiola is sure of one thing: “Joshua will be a full international, sooner or later.”
The player himself would rather dwell on the present, as he is well aware of the work that still lies ahead. “I have to keep trying to earn playing time,” said the 20-year-old. His plan when he is selected to play is “to give it everything, deliver the goods and help the team as best I can.” Just as he did against Zagreb.
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