Passionate Pep professes love for Kimmich
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola appeared to be dressing down Joshua Kimmich after the 0-0 draw with Borussia Dortmund, but later told press he loves the makeshift defender.
It could be the moment that strikes fear into every Manchester City player — Pep Guardiola dressing down one of his Bayern Munich defenders, Joshua Kimmich, despite the makeshift centre back playing an absolutely superb game.
Guardiola looked less than pleased when he confronted Kimmich after the final whistle in the Der Klassiker at Signal Iduna Park which ended in 0-0 draw — largely thanks to a brilliant intervention from Kimmich himself that prevented Marco Reus from scoring what looked like being a certain goal.
Guardiola remonstrated at length with 21-year-old Kimmich as the two teams shook hands and partook in more pleasant exchanges while shooting somewhat puzzled looks towards the manager and his young charge.
But Guardiola, who will join Premier League club Manchester City next season, perhaps bizarrely had nothing but praise for Kimmich when it came to chatting to the media.
"I love Joshua Kimmich, he brings everything. He has absolutely everything and can achieve whatever he wants," the Spaniard said, without elaborating too much on what he'd been saying to the youngster in what was a very public and intense-looking post-match chat on the field.
"He wants to learn and has passion. When I speak about Joshua Kimmich, I only say good things. I have a message for journalists: don't say that he can't play in defence.
"Congratulations to him. He has played in the [UEFA] Champions League against [a] tall striker [Mario Mandzukic] and here against [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang."
Guardiola felt Bayern perhaps deserved to have taken all three points from the contest after having the better of the second half.
"We struggled in the first 20 minutes with their pressing, but the second half was good and I think we had enough good chances to win the game.
"The result is OK and the game was good.
"It was a good game to watch and good for German football. If Bayern Munich didn't exist, BVB would be German champions. If BVB didn't exist, Bayern would have already won the title."
Bayern Munich remains five points clear of Thomas Tuchel's Dortmund team and will host Werder Bremen to see if it can maintain the momentum next Sunday (AEDT).
