Joshua Kimmich plays down Vinicius Junior feud as Bayern Munich prepare for Real Madrid Champions League showdown

Bayern have arrived in the Spanish capital for a heavyweight Champions League quarter-final clash against Real Madrid. While fans have been quick to revisit the 2024 semi-final - specifically an incident where Vinicius appeared to taunt Kimmich by dropping the ball during a throw-in - the Bayern veteran is focused solely on the present. The narrative of "revenge" has dominated the buildup, but the atmosphere in the Bavarian camp remains composed. Vincent Kompany’s side enters the Bernabeu looking to avenge recent European disappointments and secure a vital first-leg advantage against the 15-time European champions.

Kimmich was adamant that the previous friction with the Brazilian forward was nothing more than standard competitive gamesmanship. 

"It's being blown out of proportion," Kimmich told reporters, as quoted by Bild. "Of course, Real Madrid is also known for their game management skills. Time was on Madrid's side. Accordingly, everyone has their own strategies to run down the clock."

While the focus often falls on the tactical battle, Kompany was keen to highlight that certain players possess the quality to break even the best-laid plans. When questioned about the prospect of facing both Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe together, the Belgian coach preferred to focus on the collective challenge rather than Madrid's internal selection dilemmas.

"At this level, every team is dangerous," Kompany explained. "Every team can create something special. You can concede a goal, but you can also score one. You can't have a game plan against Real Madrid that completely neutralizes their individual qualities. That's why everyone comes to these matches. But I also believe you can't completely eliminate our own qualities from the game.

"The most important thing is that you don't lose sight of what got you here in the first place. Tomorrow, we need total focus on the toughest match you can have in Europe, but we want to be 100 percent focused on how to win and how we want to win. I simply want us to win, and for the team to be fearless and show what they can do."

After a tough match against Los Blancos, Die Roten will shift their focus to domestic competition, where they will face St. Pauli in the Bundesliga. They currently sit atop the table, nine points clear of nearest rivals Borussia Dortmund. They will then host Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final.