Stats prove how important Joshua Kimmich is to Bayern Munich

Joshua Kimmich has been kept out of Bayern Munich’s squad for quite some time now, and the midfielder will not be able to play in Der Klassiker either. If Kimmich is to play against FC Barcelona, he has to test negative for COVID-19.

The team is anxiously awaiting Kimmich’s return as he is an essential player in this squad. Kimmich is very passionate as well so it has not been easy for him to stay out of the lineup for so long. Although Corentin Tolisso has provided a serviceable replacement for Kimmich in the meantime, replacing Kimmich is almost impossible.

“They carry FC Bayern’s DNA. We are happy to have such players and to go into the future with them,” said CEO Oliver Kahn about Kimmich and Leon Goretzka (as captured by Abendzeitung).

If you look at the statistics, Kimmich’s absence on the pitch has a significant impact on the team’s performance and success. Needless to say, the impact is a negative one. Since Kimmich’s debut for Bayern in 2015, the 26-year-old has played in 270 games with a win rate of 78 percent and Bayern scored an average of 2.8 goals per game. Without Kimmich over this time, Bayern achieved a win rate of just 64 percent and scored just 2.3 goals per game.

On top of this, further statistics confirm Kimmich’s impact on the field. Since the beginning of the 2020/21 season, Bayern have significantly more goals per game, created more big chances, and had more shots on goal with him on the pitch. Unsurprisingly, defensive statistics improve with Kimmich as well.