Joshua Kimmich reflects on ‘special’ Barcelona clash and reunion with Hansi Flick | OneFootball

The upcoming match between FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich is one of the most anticipated ones in this new League Phase of the UEFA Champions League.

This match is going to be special for several reasons. Firstly, both these clubs are among the biggest in Europe, and share a rich history of rivalry in the premier European competition.

Similarly, the presence of Hansi Flick on the Barcelona bench also adds further spice to this tie, as Bayern Munich is the only club where he has been a head coach before his job at Barcelona.

But some players on both teams will experience this match with greater emotion. This is especially true for Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich, whose current contract with the Bundesliga side ends this season and who has been linked with the Blaugranes for over a year now.

As SPORT has reported, the player himself admitted that this upcoming match against Barcelona is going to be special for him, as he talked to the German newspaper Bild. In addition to his links with the Catalan club, he also recalled the reunion with Flick as a factor that would make this game special:

“Playing against Barça is always something special, and of course, facing Hansi, the reunion will also be very special.”

Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Further assessing the match, the midfielder also compared his former teammate, Robert Lewandowski, with his current teammate, Harry Kane:

“They are two players that cannot be directly compared. Harry is someone who likes to get more involved in the game and can sometimes deliver a brilliant pass. Lewy is more focused on scoring goals himself. Both contribute a lot to their teams with their styles.”

The reunion with Flick is certainly going to be something that Kimmich will be looking forward to, as the German coach has been one of the most influential coaches in his career.

It was the now-Barcelona coach who first used Kimmich as a right-back, and the greater versatility that Kimmich gained from this decision has significantly enhanced his standing in the world of football.