Rising Star Lee Kang-in Seeks Redemption Against Real Sociedad: A Preview

Lee Kang-in says hello

Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), who has been called the future of Korean football but is in crisis due to controversy over last season, aims to transform the atmosphere in the match against Real Sociedad (Spain ), which is expected to be a mini-Korea-Japan game.

French professional football Ligue 1 PSG will play the second leg of the round of 16 of ‘UEFA Champions League 2023-2024 (UCL)’ against Sociedad of Spanish professional football Primera Liga at Estadio de Anoeta in Spain at 5 am on the 6th . . .

PSG, who took an advantageous position by winning 2-0 in the first leg on the 15th, intend to enter the second leg in a relatively comfortable state.

PSG’s passage to the quarter-finals is expected to be easy given the objective power difference between the two teams.

Regardless of the team’s position, Lee Kang-in’s position is uncertain.

After being eliminated in the semi-finals of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, where he played as a member of the Korean national team, he played three league games, but his playing time is gradually decreasing.

He started and played 61 minutes against Nantes (2-0 win) on the 18th of last month, but only played 45 minutes in the first half against Rennes (1-1 draw) on the 26th.

And in the latest match against AS Monaco (0-0) he came on as a substitute at 41 minutes of the second half and was on the field for only 4 minutes.

After the Asian Cup, which was physically demanding, not only as a starter in every game but also in close overtime matches in a row, the controversy surrounding a physical collision with Son Heung-min (Tottenham) seemed to have been greatly shaken .

Therefore, there is a possibility that this Sociedad match will be an opportunity to turn the atmosphere around.

Statistics media ‘Whoscored.com’ and others had excluded Lee Kang-in from the expected starting line-up for this game, but some say that allowing him to play just 4 minutes against Monaco was a way of preparing for the Sociedad game .

Even if he is not a starter, his playing time is expected to be longer than in previous games.

Also, since they are playing against Sociedad, which is weak in terms of power, there is a high possibility that they will show lighter movements.

In addition, Sociedad will feature Japanese midfielder Takefusa Kubo, Lee Kang-in’s close friend and rival. It is expected that an advantageous position will be created with the added incentive of competition in Spain, where Lee Kang-in spent his youth days.

Meanwhile, on this day, at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Bayern Munich of the German professional football Bundesliga will invite Italian professional football Serie A Lazio to their home for the second leg of the UCL round of 16 .

Another Korean player, central defender Kim Min-jae, is expected to feature.

Munich lost 0-1 in the first leg on the 15th, putting a red light on their ability to progress to the quarter-finals.

This is a game that also depends on whether coach Thomas Tuchel, who is due to leave Munich at the end of this season due to poor performance, will be sacked early.

Multiple foreign media predict that if Munich does not advance to the next round by beating Lazio, the club’s leadership may replace the head coach early.

There is interest in whether Kim Min-jae, who left Napoli (Italy) and moved to Munich through the transfer market last summer, can save the possibility of winning the UCL in a situation where winning the league is slim.

◎ Newsis sympathetic media wlsduq123@newsis.com

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