‘It’s the Asian Cup now!’ Lee Kang-in, Kim Min-jae on first-half finale
Lee Kang-in, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the French Ligue 1, and Kim Min-jae, who plays for Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga, led their respective teams to victory in the first half finale.
Lee picked up his second assist of the season in the 17th round home match of the 2023-2024 French Ligue 1 against FC Metz at the Parc des Princes in Paris, France, on Nov. 21 (KST).
With the score tied at 0-0 in the fourth minute of the second half, Lee sent in a sharp left-footed cross from the right, which Vitinha, who was rushing into the box, finished with a non-stop right-footed shot to shake the Metz goal.
After being criticized by the local media for his recent lack of attacking points, Lee scored a goal against Montpellier on March 4, marking his first attacking point in about a month and a half.
In PSG’s colors this season, Lee has two goals and two assists on the official scoreboard.
Lee’s courier cross found the back of the net in the 15th minute and Kylian Mbappe’s 38th-minute strike in the second half helped PSG beat Metz 3-1.
Extending their unbeaten run to 12 games (10 wins, 2 draws), PSG finished the first half of the season firmly at the top of the league table (40 points).
Lee, who picked up a delightful assist in the final game of the year, will now be part of Jürgen Klinsmann’s South Korea squad at next month’s Asian Cup, where they will look to regain their place at the top of the table for the first time in 64 years.
Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae played the full game in the last minute of the first half to help his team win.
Kim Min-jae started at center back in the Bavarians’ 2023-2024 Bundesliga Round 16 match against Wolfsburg at the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg, Germany, on Nov. 21 and helped the Bavarians win with a solid defensive performance.
Kim, who scored his Bundesliga debut with a header in the previous round in Round 15, made his presence felt in the attacking third, threatening the opposition goal with a high header from a free kick in the fifth minute.
After playing 13 consecutive full-time matches since the third round of the Bundesliga, Kim will be back with the national team after a much-needed break to prepare for the Asian Cup.