The construction of the Bayern Munich midfield has been under fire of late.
At one point, Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka were the dynamic duo for both club and country.
Now, however, both players are taking heat over their roles and recent performances amid rumors that Bayern Munich are looking at several other players for the position.
In the 2-0 victory over Hertha Berlin, it was a good effort from the Bayern Munich duo. Kimmich excelled, while picking up two assists, and creating 11 chances overall. It was a dynamic performance from Kimmich, who settled in nicely into the playmaking No. 6 role that he has seem to eschew for most of the season:
Joshua Kimmich made 11 key passes in Bayern Munich’s 2-0 win over Hertha Berlin on Sunday, a record in a Bundesliga match this season pic.twitter.com/Y4TrGpxBqM
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) April 30, 2023
Kimmich also completed 109 of 119 passes for passing accuracy of 92%. The Germany international can be that type of player if he commits to the role.
Goretzka, meanwhile, got the start despite battling an injury. His day was cut short as he was subbed out at halftime in a move that we can assume has more to do with his injury than his performance. Goretzka completed 22 of 28 passes (78%), which was not great, but he won two of his four ground duels, registered two tackles, and was generally solid.
There is hope, but does Thomas Tuchel think that duo can be a winning combination moving forward?
That is unclear at best and unlikely at worst. In addition to Ryan Gravenberch, who has been pushing for a move away from the club, Bayern Munich are scheduled have both Konrad Laimer and Marcel Sabitzer patrolling the midfield next season.
Sabitzer is widely thought to a candidate for sale this summer, but there have been multiple reports that Bayern Munich is looking at options to help bolster the position. Chelsea’s Kovačić and Mason Mount (an attacking midfielder) and Manchester United’s Casemiro have all been linked to the Bavarians.
How this all ends up will be determined in the coming months, but riding Kimmich and Goretzka for another season might not be the worst option.
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