[사진] Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)
[OSEN=노진주 기자] In the 2004-2005 season, two Korean players advanced to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) for the first time in 19 years since Park Ji-sung and Lee Young-pyo advanced to the semi-finals of the ‘Stage of the Stars’ ‘ in Eindhoven. Will there be a historic scene where Kim Min-jae (28, Bayern Munich) and Lee Kang-in (23, Paris Saint-Germain) advance to the finals side by side and face each other?
Minjae Kim was replaced by Nusair Mazrwi in the 31st minute of the second half of the 2023-2024 UEFA UCL quarter-final against Arsenal held at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany on the 18th (Korea time) and played until the end of the match. The team won 1-0.
Munich, who had been tied 2-2 in the first away game, won at home and progressed to the semi-finals with a combined score of 3-2 in the first and second legs.
Left back duties were assigned to Kim Min-jae and he took to the field.
At the 34th minute of the second half, Arsenal saw an attempt at a counterattack in midfield, rushed in, and managed to break.
According to ‘Foot Mob’ company statistics, on this day, Minjae Kim played 14 minutes excluding extra time, had a pass success rate of 73% (11/15), touched the ball 21 times, had pass accuracy long by 50% (1/2), lost the ball 0 times, and had a clearance. He recorded 1 interception, 4 defensive tackles, etc. The defensive mission was successfully accomplished. However, it was disappointing that two fouls were recorded in a short space of time.
In particular, Kim Min-jae committed a foul near the Munich box when Munich were leading 1-0 with only one minute left in the game, giving Arsenal a free-kick opportunity. Arsenal quickly caught Munich off guard with a free kick, but they were blocked by the defense and could not score an equaliser. Minjae Kim sighed.
The match ended with Munich winning by one goal, and Minjae Kim progressed to the semi-finals of the UCL for the first time in his career. They are competing against Real Madrid for a ticket to the final.
[사진] Minjae Kim ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)
[사진] ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)
The day before (17th), Lee Kang-in also shared the news of advancing to the UCL semi-finals. Lee Kang-in was replaced by Bradley Barcola in the 32nd minute of the second half of the second leg of the quarter-final against Barcelona which was held at the Luis Kompanis Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, The team won 4-1.
PSG overcame a 2-3 loss in the first leg and progressed to the semi-finals for the first time in three years since the 2020-2021 season by leading with a total score of 6-4. They will play against Dortmund in the semi-final.
Lee Kang-in played about 13 minutes, not including extra time. He created 1 chance, had a pass success rate of 100% (13/13), and a ground ball contest win rate of 100% (2/2). Although his presence was not obvious, he contributed to the team’s victory, even if only a little.
As a result, a monumental event was born where two Korean players reached the semi-finals of the UCL while wearing different uniforms.
Before this season, only three Korean players reached the semi-finals of the UCL.
Park Ji-sung and Lee Young-pyo played together in Eindhoven under coach Guus Hiddink in the 2004-2005 season reaching the semi-finals of the UCL. At the time, they fell to AC Milan and failed to advance to the finals. Park Ji-sung also scored Korea’s first UCL goal in the second leg of the semi-final.
Afterwards, Park Ji-sung moved to Manchester United and regularly reached the semi-finals. In the 2007-2008 season, Gearco lifted the ‘Big Year’ UCL championship cup. He was excluded from the participation list at the time and did not take part in the final.
[사진] (From left) Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo, Son Heung-min, and Lee Kang-in ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)
Son Heung-min, who plays for Tottenham, recently reached the final leg of the UCL in the 2018-2019 season. They defeated Manchester City and Ajax in succession to reach the final. However, they lost the trophy to Liverpool at the top of the tournament.
Following Park Ji-sung and Lee Young-pyo, Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae became the first Korean players to advance to the UCL semi-finals together in 19 years. This is the first time a Korean player has reached the semi-finals wearing different uniforms.
If both players pass the semi-finals, this will also be the first time. The Korean players have yet to face each other in the Champions League final.
If either Lee Kang-in or Kim Min-jae win the UCL, they will be the first Korean players to top the UCL since Park Ji-sung in 16 years.
/jinju217@osen.co.kr
Jinju Noh (jinju217@osen.co.kr)
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