"It wasn't easy to play against him" - Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich names ex-Chelsea star as his toughest ever opponent
Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich has named former Chelsea flop Alvaro Morata as the toughest opponent he has ever come across. The versatile Germany international has faced modern-day football greats such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar among others. However, he has claimed that Morata was the toughest attacker he has ever faced.
Kimmich has claimed that the former Chelsea striker's combination of strength, technique and pace makes him a real menace for the opposition. The Bayern Munich star said, as quoted by The Daily Mail:
"It was very tough to play against him because he has a very strong body, he is very fast and has a good technique. It wasn't easy to play against him."
Kimmich faced Morata on a total of three occasions, winning once and drawing thrice. He faced him twice in the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League when the Spaniard was at Juventus, and once at the 2022 World Cup. The Spaniard scored once and provided two assists in those games.
Alvaro Morata showed signs of becoming a fantastic striker in his early days as a player but has not quite lived up to his massive potential. However, he has still forged a pretty solid career despite not being able to settle too long at any club.
The Spaniard was on the books of Atletico Madrid, Getafe and Real Madrid as a youngster before breaking into the senior side of Los Blancos. He is currently on the books of Atletico Madrid. He has played for Juventus and Real Madrid twice and also had a forgettable spell with Chelsea in the Premier League.
Morata joined the Blues in 2017 from Juventus for a then-club-record fee of around £60 million. He only managed to find the back of the net 24 times in 72 games for the west London side while producing six assists. He has 34 goals for Spain in 69 appearances and is the current captain of La Roja.
Mauricio Pochettino admits that nearly cried after Chelsea's League Cup loss
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that he was holding back his tears following the Blues' League Cup final defeat at the hands of Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp's side defeated the west Londoners 1-0 after extra time despite missing a host of star players due to injuries on February 25.
Pochettino has admitted that almost cried after the defeat but the consolation from the owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali helped him fight back his tears. The former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) manager said:
“I feel the support from them. I cannot lie to you. When I went up the steps at Wembley, I was so upset. Nearly crying. When I arrived there, it was so difficult to stop myself. I think people are clever enough to understand.
"Of course we wanted to win the Carabao Cup. We want to win the FA Cup. We want to win the Premier League. Now it’s tough. It’s the reality but before the start of the season it was always the objective."
The Blues boss is under a lot of pressure due to the struggles of his team on the pitch despite their lavish spending. Since Todd Boehly-led Clearlake Capital's takeover in May 2022, Chelsea have spent over £1 billion on new players. Despite that, they only finished 12th in the Premier League last season and are 11th in the table right now.