Joshua Kimmich knows regeneration will be key for Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich was already a bit put-off by the chaotic travel experience the team experienced in flying to Qatar. With barely any rest and some heavy legs, the Bavarians had to face a very game Al Ahly squad that was not prepared to go down easily.

Still, Bayern Munich pulled out a dominant 2-0 victory, but was absolutely not at its best in doing so. Kimmich was one of the stars of the match as he completed 91% of his passes and won 5 of his 8 ground duels, while being a very stable presence in the central midfield. The 26-year-old did, however, lose the ball 20 times, which can probably be attributed to the insane schedule that the team has kept over the past week.

“We got into the game well in the first 35 minutes,” said Kimmich after the game (as captured by Tz), “Then we made too many mistakes, which wasn’t necessary. At the back we managed to have possession of the ball, which was nice. It was deserved, even if it wasn’t quite glamorous.”

Kimmich, however, is ready to get his body right in preparation for the Club World Cup finale. The midfielder knows that how Bayern Munich performs in Thursday’s final against Tigres UANL will likely be determined by how quickly the team can recover.

“The next days will be determined by regeneration,” Kimmich said. “A little treatment, stretching, cycling, and then we all see that we gather strength and win the next game.”