Kim Min-jae scores as Bayern Munich beat Lee Kang-in's PSG in Champions League
Published: 27 Nov. 2024, 11:43
Updated: 27 Nov. 2024, 17:35
- PAIK JI-HWAN
- [email protected]
Kim Min-jae headed in the winner for Bayern Munich in a 1-0 Champions League win over Lee Kang-in’s Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night, scoring his first goal in European action in the first Korean derby of the tournament.
Kim started Tuesday’s fixture at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, while Lee came on as a substitute. The Korean center-back found the opportunity in the 38th minute, heading in the ball from a well-placed corner.
The goal was his first in the Champions League and second this season, during which he has played as a regular pick across 18 appearances.
PSG failed to level through the end of the halftime whistle and put themselves at a disadvantage as Ousmane Dembele exited the pitch on a second yellow in the 56th minute for a heavy challenge on Alphonso Davies.
Lee, who came on in the 75th minute, wasn’t able to make much of an impact through the end. Bayern kept PSG defenders busy, exploiting their vulnerabilities, but they were unable to extend the lead.
"Of course I'm satisfied," Bayern manager Vincent Kompany said after Tuesday’s match. “Our pressing in the first half was very good. The discipline was there. We could have scored one or two more goals, but the result is good.”
Bayern jumped to 11th place on the league stage table, with three wins and two losses under their belt. The Bundesliga giants have seen a strong start to the season domestically, with the team sitting at the top of the league table with an unbeaten streak from nine games.
Tuesday’s result puts PSG in 26th place on the 36-team table, in the elimination zone where they could crash out of the league stage. In the revamped Champions League, the top eight teams directly reach the round of 16, while those placed ninth to 24th head to the playoffs where the winners join the final 16. Those who finish below 24th exit the tournament.
"We gave a bad impression, a bad impression from the first minute,” PSG manager Luis Enrique said. “Bayern Munich were superior to us in the first half. We couldn't get the ball back, they were pressing us and getting it back all the time. The start of the second half was a little more encouraging. We thought we had chances and I think the start of the second half was better. But after Ousmane was sent off, we suffered. We were lucky to be in the game until the end, but they deserved to win."
PSG have only secured one win from the opening five Champions League matches.
The Ligue 1 defending champions’ run in the Champions League is a contrast to their run in the domestic league, where they are six points clear at the top of the table with zero losses.
Bayern will not face PSG again in the league stage, as its format allows only one head-to-head match between two clubs.
But Bayern’s upcoming match against Hwang In-beom’s Feyenoord on Jan. 22 next year sets the stage for another possible Korean derby.
Countryman Kim Min-su at Girona is also competing in the Champions League this season, increasing his playing time with the senior squad since breaking through last month. Kim clocked up 11 minutes in the tournament against PSV Eindhoven earlier this month, although he has yet to establish himself as a regular defender pick.
Girona will not face any team with Korean players for the remaining Champions League action in the group stage, with the La Liga side due to face SK Sturm Graz on Wednesday as of press time.
The Spanish club has struggled so far in the competition, sitting 29th place with one win and three losses.
Two other Korean players are also active in the tournament, Celtic's Yang Hyun-jun and Red Star Belgrade's Seol Young-woo.
Celtic face Club Brugge on Wednesday night as of press time, and currently sit in 18th on the table. Red Star face VfB Stuttgart on Wednesday and are currently 34th. Neither team is set to play a Korean derby in the remainder of the group stage.
As things stand, Inter Milan sit at the top of the league stage table with four wins and one draw, followed by No. 2 Barcelona with four wins and one loss and No. 3 Liverpool at four wins.
BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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