Lee Kang-in starts as Mallorca begin La Liga season with 0-0 draw

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Lee Kang-in starts as Mallorca begin La Liga season with 0-0 draw

Mallorca's Lee Kang-in left, fight for the ball with Athletic Bilbao's Yuri Berchiche during a La Liga match at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Spain on Monday.  [EPA/YONHAP]

Mallorca's Lee Kang-in left, fight for the ball with Athletic Bilbao's Yuri Berchiche during a La Liga match at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Spain on Monday. [EPA/YONHAP]

 
Lee Kang-in put in a solid 86 minutes of work in Mallorca's opening game of the 2022-23 La Liga season, playing on the right wing as the club was held to a 0-0 draw on the road by Athletic Bilbao on Monday.
 
Lee was included in the starting lineup for the opening game, a promising sign for the young Korean midfielder who found himself relegated to the bench for all but two La Liga games since he returned to the squad after contracting Covid-19 in January. He appeared as a substitute 13 times in the second half of last season, often not coming on to the pitch until the dying minutes of the game.
 
Bilbao dominated the game on Monday, with 65 percent of the ball and 23 shots, six of which were on target. Mallorca put in far less impressive numbers, with only two of a total six shots on target, yet both sides were left without anything to show for their effort.
 
Passing accuracy was a concern for Mallorca, with only 67 percent of tickets landing on target. Mallorca also regularly found themselves on the wrong side of the referee, with six yellow cards — including one for Lee.
 
Despite staying silent in front of goal, Lee proved effective on the wing, firing in some good crosses and covering well up and down the pitch. 
 
The starting spot and solid effort comes at a good time for the young midfielder, who is keen to earn a place in the Korean national squad ahead of the 2022 Qatar World Cup in November.
 
Lee joined Mallorca on a four-year deal on Aug. 30 last year after Valencia terminated his contract, ending a decade-long career at the club that started when he joined the academy at just 10 years old.
 
Mallorca will continue their La Liga season with a match Real Betis Balompié at Iberostar Stadium in Mallorca on Saturday.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]
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