Kimmich admits his mistake cost Bayern a win, Salihamidzic criticizes team
With no uncertain amount of critical words, both Bayern starter Joshua Kimmich and FCB personnel boss Hasan Salihamidzic called for better play after last night's 1-1 draw with Leipzig. Only substitute Thomas Müller seemed to take the result in stride.
Still reeling a bit from the World Cup elimination, FC Bayern München midfielder Joshua Kimmich admitted that he did not play his best game in last night's 1-1 draw away at Leipzig. In point of fact, Kimmich took the blame for Leipzig's equalizer after turning the ball over off a throw. The German national team midfielder's misplaced pass and later loss in a direct duel allowed the German Red Bulls to restore parity in the 52nd.
"The mistake was not that Alphonso Davies took the throw-in quickly. We had discussed the situation before the game," Kimmich revealed to DAZN (as quoted by Germany's Kicker magazine) "I have to kick the ball out, then nothing happens. At the end of the day, we win the game without my mistake."
Kimmich's German national team colleague Thomas Müller, relegated to the bench this time in favor of Jamal Musiala in the ten slot, didn't seemed perturbed by only playing the final seven minutes. Moreover, the famously competitive veteran seemed content enough with the result.
"When you lead 1-0, of course you want to win," Müller analyzed in his own post-match comments, "But from a level-headed point of view, a point in Leipzig is acceptable after the long break."
FCB chief personnel boss Hasan Salihamidzic - the man responsible for putting the team together - was naturally first asked to comment on the play of recent blockbuster transfer Yann Sommer. Bayern's head-of-sport noted that he felt his chosen selection to lead the team to its 11th straight league title after Manuel Neuer's injury "played fine".
Salihamidzic was more critical when it came to the rest of the team.
"We didn't play a good game, we lacked accuracy and aggressiveness," Salihamidzic noted, "We still have much to do. We need to raise our fitness levels to get through this competition. We'll have to do better against Köln [on Tuesday], playing with more intensity, aggressiveness and accuracy."