The German media is underestimating Kim Min-jae.
Bayern Munich will face Lazio in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 for the 2023-24 season at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, at 5 a.m. on Saturday (Korea time). In the first leg, Munich lost 0-1.
The current trend in Munich is not good. With Dayo Upamecano sent off in the first leg, coach Thomas Tuchel has to think about a combination of starting center backs. Moreover, the team drew 2-2 with Freiburg on the 2nd, further moving it further away from winning the league title. Munich is currently in second place with 54 points. It is 10 points shorter than Leverkusen, which is in first place.
In the match against Freiburg, Munich was dragged away, allowing Matthias Ginter to score the first goal. Then, Matthijs Tell scored the equalizer and Jamal Musiala’s goal turned the tables. His concentration at the end of the game was disappointing. Lucas Wheeler scored the equalizer in the 42nd minute of the second half, finishing the game 2-2.
The German media Kicker criticized Munich’s defense. The target of criticism was Kim Min-jae. “It is not the manager’s fault that Leon Goretzka and Kim Min-jae conceded the equalizer,” Kicker said. “Kim Min-jae cannot guarantee his safety at the moment. The solution for the central defense is Matthijs the Licht and Eric Dier,” stressing that Kim Min-jae should be excluded from the starting lineup for the match against Lazio in the round of 16 teams in the UCL.
Kim Min-jae joined the national team ahead of this season. He played an active role in the Napoli team last season, making a remarkable achievement to win the Scudetto title for the first time in 33 years. Kim was mentioned as a center back in the world class at a stroke. Kim Min-jae was also strong in defense in Munich. He blocked opponent teams’ attacks from the back and became the centerpiece of the team’s build-up.
However, the “kicker” gave Kim a rough review every time, including giving him a rough rating. The kicker analyzed the defense line of Munich after the first half of the Bundesliga. “The newly recruited Kim from Naples had no choice but to come to the games often. In the meantime, he also needed an urgent break. Kim had to constantly face pressure, such as transferring, basic military training, and transferring to the Korean national team.”
“Kim Min-jae had life and cancer. In a 1-5 defeat to Frankfurt, Kim scored a six-point GPA, and eight days later, he scored his debut goal in a match against Stuttgart, earning the highest GPA of one. He has all the qualities to perform better in the future, but he should participate in the 2024 Asian Cup first. Kim said, “I cannot rest for a while.”
As Munich’s defense is on shaky ground, Kim Min-jae will inevitably face criticism. However, no other player has displayed better defense capability than Kim. In the first round of the UCL’s round of 16, Munich was able to only allow one run thanks to Kim’s stable defense after Upamecano was sent off. It is hard to understand what the “kicker” thinks.
BY: 스포츠토토핫