Joshua Kimmich's superb form at right-back in recent weeks was rewarded as he scored the winning goal to send FC Bayern past Arsenal and into the Champions League semi-finals for the 13th time on Wednesday. A superb 63rd-minute header, it was the spark that lit the fuse on a chilly Wednesday evening at the Allianz Arena, with the frenetic Bayern supporters lifting their team and propelling them into the last four.
This support went hand in hand with the fighting spirit of each and every Bayern player in this Champions League quarter-final tie, as their mentality earned them a place in the semi-finals.
Kimmich: Man of the Match
Kimmich played on the front foot from start to finish, bombing up and down the right-hand flank tirelessly, confidently and courageously, as has become the norm of late. His 12th Champions League goal was arguably his most important yet - for player and club alike. "I was a bit lucky that nobody really picked me up, and then I was just in the right position," said the Bayern No.6 of the moment he put away Raphaël Guerreiro's inch-perfect cross. That said, it was more by design than accident as Bayern registered their 22nd headed goal of the season - a team-leading figure across Europe's top five leagues. Scorer of their latest effort, Kimmich deservedly took Man of the Match honours after a tenacious individual display.
Real Madrid are up next for FC Bayern!
Real expert Kimmich
The 29-year-old can now put his experience to good use against Real Madrid in the semi-finals. In the last knockout clash with Los Blancos in the 2017/18 last four, Kimmich scored in both games (1-2; 2-2). Needless to say, we want to see much more of the same!
Next record for Manuel Neuer
Manuel Neuer has also faced Real before, though missed that particular tie through injury. Now FCB can once again rely on the brilliance of their captain, who did more than deny Martin Ødegaard's long-range effort against Arsenal.
The 38-year-old set a new record for clean sheets in the 1-0 win, overtaking Iker Casillas to move onto 58 Champions League shut-outs. Some goalkeepers haven't even played in that many games. "The discipline we showed was crucial to us winning the game today and progressing to the semi-finals," said the five-time world's best goalkeeper after the final whistle.
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De Ligt and Dier underpin solid defence
It helped that Bayern's No.1 was able to count on a rock-solid defensive performance from centre-back pairing Matthijs de Ligt und Eric Dier. Together with Leon Goretzka, Jamal Musiala and the gang, the duo gave it everything, throwing themselves into challenges, stalking the opposition and winning the aerial battle for supremacy. All that was left to do was for Kimmich to reward his team's fighting spirit with a towering header for the win.
Back in the UCL semis! 🙌
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