Kim Min-jae and Lee Jae-seong Face Off
Kim Min-jae and Lee Jae-seong face off as starters in front of Klinsmann... Result: Munich wins
"Kane"s 9th goal" Munich won 3-1, undefeated in 8 league games... Mainz has no wins in 8 games
The national soccer team"s defender Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) and midfielder Lee Jae-seong (Mainz) spent the international season together in October and faced each other as starters in the German Bundesliga as soon as they returned to their respective teams.
It was Kim Min-jae who smiled during the "Korean Derby" that unfolded while Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany) national team coach watched from the field.
Kim Min-jae and Lee Jae-seong competed as starters for Munich and Mainz, respectively, in the 2023-2024 Bundesliga 8th round match held at the Meva Arena in Mainz, Germany on the 22nd (Korean time).
Lee Jae-sung played the role of supporting Mainz"s frontline striker Ludovic Azork until the 18th minute of the second half before being replaced by Aymen Barkok, while Kim Min-jae played the full time as Munich"s central defender with Matthijs De Licht.
Kim Min-jae and Lee Jae-seong started as starters in friendly games against Tunisia (13th) and Vietnam (17th) during the October international match, leading Klinsmann to two consecutive wins, and then met as opposing teams in their first game after returning to their respective teams.
It was also the first match on the European stage for these players, who had previously worked together at Jeonbuk Hyundai in the K League 1.
In the game, defending champion Munich, to which Kim Min-jae belongs, won 3-1, remaining undefeated in 8 games (6 wins, 2 draws) since the start of this season"s league, and ranked 3rd (20 points).
On the other hand, Mainz remained in 17th place (2 points) with no wins, 2 draws, and 6 losses in 8 games this season, and the joys and sorrows of the two teams were clearly mixed.
Munich, who went on a wave offensive from the beginning, missed a golden opportunity to score the first goal in the 8th minute of the first half when Jojua Kimmich"s cannonball-like right-footed mid-range shot was blocked by goalkeeper Robin Zentner, but succeeded in scoring three minutes later.
In a counterattack situation, Leroy Janet broke through the center and passed the ball to Kingsley Coman on the right, and Coman hit a right-footed shot from inside the penalty area.
In the 13th minute of the first half, Danny da Costa"s cross from the right side followed by Lee Jae-seong"s exquisite header hit the goalpost, and Munich, who was heartbroken, even scored an additional goal in the 16th minute of the first half.
After Jamal Musiala"s cross, Harry Kane headed a pass from the left side of the goal area to the heads of Konrad Reimer and Leon Goretzka, widening the gap.
It was Kane"s ninth league goal this season.
Mainz trailed by one goal before the end of the first half.
In the 43rd minute of the first half, Anthony Cassi received the ball that Brajan Gruda threw into the left side of the penalty area from the right behind the penalty arc and kicked it strongly with his left foot.
However, Munich regained their composure with Goretzka scoring a goal in the 14th minute of the second half.
Starting with Mainz replacing Lee Jae-sung and Kassy with Barkok and Maxim Leic in the 18th minute of the second half, both teams used substitution cards in turn, and the game ended without any more goals being scored.
In the WhoScored.com rating, which specializes in soccer statistics, Kim Min-jae received 6.9 points, and Lee Jae-seong scored 6.1 points.
The highest rating for both teams was 7.9 points given to Goretzka and Gruda.
According to Footmob statistics, Kim Min-jae sent all 102 passes accurately that day, recording a 100% success rate.