Home > Sports > Football

Bayern's Kim Min-jae leads team to win over Gladbach's Jens Castrop

Published: 26 Oct. 2025, 14:20 Updated: 26 Oct. 2025, 16:14

Philipp Sander of Moenchengladbach, left, in action against Kim Min-jae of Munich, center, during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and FC Bayern Munich in Moenchengladbach, Germany on Oct. 25 [EPA/YONHAP]

Korean defender Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich came out on top in a rare “Korean derby” in the Bundesliga, leading his team to a win over Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Jens Castrop.

Bayern defeated Mönchengladbach 3-0 on Saturday at Borussia-Park in the eighth round of the 2025–26 Bundesliga season. Kim started as Bayern's central defender while Castrop, who recently joined the Korean national team, lined up at right back for Gladbach.

Castrop, 22, was born to a Korean mother and a German father. He was called up by Korea in September and October, sharing the field with Kim during World Cup qualifiers. Saturday’s fixture marked the first time the two teammates faced each other as opponents in club play.

The matchup, however, ended quickly for Castrop. In the 15th minute, he lunged into a reckless sliding tackle on Bayern’s Luis Díaz near the right sideline in his own half. After a video assistant referee review, the referee upgraded the initial yellow card to a straight red in the 19th minute. Castrop was sent off, leaving Gladbach to play the remaining 70 minutes with 10 men.

The early dismissal changed the rhythm of the match. Bayern, initially slowed by Gladbach’s tight defense, began to take control as the home side dropped deeper to compensate for being a man down.

Kim, 29, seized the opportunity to deliver one of his most complete performances of the season. Having lost his starting spot earlier this month to German defender Jonathan Tah, Kim responded with a commanding display at the back. He completed the full 90 minutes, anchoring Bayern's defense and breaking up several counterattacks.

In stoppage time of the first half, he tracked back to snuff out a dangerous Gladbach breakaway. In the 74th minute, he surged high up the pitch to intercept a through ball. Earlier, around the 30th minute, he joined the attack, threading an incisive forward pass that nearly created a scoring chance.

Jens Castrop of Moenchengladbach, left, in action against Luis Diaz of Munich, right, during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and FC Bayern Munich in Moenchengladbach, Germany on Oct. 25 [EPA/YONHAP]

Bayern finally broke through in the second half. Joshua Kimmich opened the scoring in the 64th minute, blasting a low drive into the net after a quick exchange at the top of the box. Raphael Guerreiro doubled the lead five minutes later, finishing off a rebound from close range, and Lennard Kahl sealed the victory in the 81st minute with a powerful strike from a distance.

Gladbach had a brief lifeline in the 75th minute when they earned a penalty, but midfielder Kevin Stöger hit the post, ending any hopes of a comeback.

With the win, Bayern extended its perfect start to eight straight victories, remaining atop the Bundesliga table with 24 points. Gladbach, on the other hand, continued their dismal run, with no wins, three draws and five losses, landing at the bottom of the standings.

According to football analytics site FotMob, Kim completed 96 percent of his passes and recorded nine recoveries, two clearances and one interception. He earned a match rating of 7.5, the fourth highest among Bayern players. Castrop, in contrast, received a 5.5 rating from FotMob and an even lower 3.6 from SofaScore, another football analytics site.

The contrast between the two Koreans could not have been sharper: Kim reinforced his reputation as a defensive pillar for the Bundesliga champions, while Castrop’s reckless challenge left his side chasing shadows for most of the afternoon.

For Kim, the match may mark a turning point in his fight to reclaim a regular starting role at Bayern. For Castrop, it serves as a harsh lesson early in his international career — and a reminder that composure matters as much as passion when representing his club and country.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
PARK RIN [[email protected]]