5 Talking Points from Bayern Munich’s Champions League Mauling of Rostov

Few eyebrows will have been raised at five-time European champions Bayern Munich dismissing Champions League debutants FC Rostov 5-0 on Tuesday evening.

Joshua Kimmich’s brace was complemented by goals from Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller and late substitute Juan Bernat as the Bavarian giants opened their Group D campaign with aplomb.

Bayern are top of the section, with a plus-four goal difference to Atletico Madrid—the Spanish side beat PSV Eindhoven 1-0 in the other game in the group.

Carlo Ancelotti’s maiden season as Bayern coach is off to a flyer, but what else did we learn from the rout of Rostov at the Allianz Arena?

Kimmich looks increasingly like the long-term successor to Philipp Lahm

“He played very well,” said coach Ancelotti of Kimmich after the 21-year-old scored two goals in seven second-half minutes to put the result beyond doubt. “He’s on a really good run and staying focused.”

Kimmich’s run has indeed been impressive. This time last year, he was a defensive midfielder signed from RB Leipzig hoping to one day break into Bayern’s first XI.

Fast-forward to mid-September 2016 and Kimmich has spent the last 10 days opening his account for Germany—in their FIFA World Cup qualifying victory over Norway—helping himself to his first Bundesliga goal in Bayern’s 2-0 victory over Schalke and scoring for the first and second time at European club football’s top table.

.@MrAncelotti on two-goal #Kimmich: “He played very well. He’s on a really good run and staying focused.” #FCBROS pic.twitter.com/ty1NLC6HLw

— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) September 13, 2016

While the goals are noteworthy, it is the completeness of Kimmich’s game that stands out. Last season he played the majority of his 23 Bundesliga appearances from centre-back as Jerome Boateng, Holger Badstuber and Javi Martinez each struggled with injury.

Bayern’s 14 clean sheets in that time vindicated the notion that the VfB Stuttgart academy graduate could play deeper than his preferred No. 6 position—German footballing lexicon for the deeper of the two central midfielders in front of the back four.

Now, though, he is proving equally adept at the other end of the pitch. Both of his goals on Tuesday came from well-timed runs into the box, with an instinctual close-range finish followed by a textbook striker’s header.

Club captain Lahm was rested for the game, with Rafinha playing right-back and Kimmich pushed forward. Lahm was rejuvenated as a midfielder under Pep Guardiola in recent seasons, and Kimmich now looks ready to pick up his mantle, both in terms of his versatility and his in-game impact.

“When Philipp retires at Bayern in two years we don’t have to worry about his position,” academy coach Hermann Gerland told …

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