He directly made up for his teammates' mistakes. Kim Min-jae (29, Bayern Munich) overcame the impact of his injury to securely guard the backline, contributing to the team's victory.

Bayern won 3-1 against Stuttgart in the away match of the 24th round of the 2024-2025 Bundesliga held at MHP Arena in Stuttgart, Germany, on the morning of the 1st (Korean time).

With this, Bayern extended their unbeaten streak to nine matches and became one step closer to winning the Bundesliga for the first time in two years. Now, Bayern, currently in first place, has 61 points (19 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss), widening the gap to second-place Bayer Leverkusen (50 points) by 11 points with one game less played.

Bayern opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation. Harry Kane, Leroy Sané, Jamal Musiala, Michael Olise, João Palhinha, Leon Goretzka, Alfonso Davies, Kim Min-jae, Eric Dier, Konrad Laimer, and Manuel Neuer started.

Stuttgart faced off with a 4-4-2 formation. Nick Woltemade, Dennis Undav, Chris Führich, Angelo Stiller, Atakan Karazor, Jamie Leveling, Maximilian Mittelstädt, Julian Schabot, Finn Yellchi, Yosa Pagnomen, and Alexander Nübel were in the starting lineup.

Stuttgart pressed hard in the early stages. In the 6th minute of the first half, Pagnomen had a good opportunity but failed to finish. Kim Min-jae also showed his presence from the back by cutting off the opponent's passes.

Bayern missed a crucial opportunity. In the 22nd minute of the first half, Stuttgart committed a mistake during their build-up from the back, and Sané intercepted it and passed. Musiala, who received the ball, faced the goalkeeper one-on-one but shot wide. Stuttgart's Undav hit the post with a shot in the 31st minute of the first half, missing a chance.

Stuttgart took the lead first. In the 34th minute of the first half, Sané slipped and lost the ball, and Pagnomen crossed from the right. Stiller, who received the ball near the arc, hit a powerful left-footed shot and broke the net for the opening goal.

Bayern equalized before the first half ended. In the 45th minute of the first half, Kim Min-jae's long header cleared the ball over Stuttgart's defense and connected to Sané in front. Sané immediately slipped a pass into the space behind, and Olise finished with an accurate left-footed shot to score the equalizer. The first half ended 1-1.

Bayern turned the game around. In the 64th minute of the second half, Stuttgart made another critical mistake during their build-up in the box. Goretzka quickly ran in and intercepted the goalkeeper's pass before scoring the turnaround goal.

Stuttgart launched an offensive in search of the equalizer. However, they could not break through Bayern's stable defense, focused around Kim Min-jae and Dier. Stuttgart found it difficult even to create shooting opportunities in the box.

Bayern sealed the game with a late goal that crushed Stuttgart. Another poor pass was the starting point. In the 90th minute of the second half, Pagnomen attempted a back pass to the goalkeeper near the center line but ended up poorly kicking it. Kingsley Coman seized the opportunity and scored after bypassing the lunging goalkeeper.

No more goals were scored. Stuttgart had too little time to change their fate. The match ended with Bayern winning 3-1.

After the match, coach Vincent Kompany remarked, "It was a top-class match in Germany. An away game at Stuttgart is never easy. Stuttgart played better than us in the early stages, so I enjoyed this victory. However, we also had tremendous opportunities in the first half. We grew within the match and were threatening throughout the second half. Sometimes, the match goes that way."

He added, "We defended strongly at the end and showed a lot of character. Thanks to that, we were able to win. Of course, our goal is to win trophies, but we always want to keep improving. The most important thing is that we continue on this path and have faith in what we are doing."

Goretzka, the hero of the decisive goal, reflected, "It was tough, and we didn't start the game well. However, we were prepared for the fact that Stuttgart might not maintain the tempo they displayed without the ball for 90 minutes. The second half was much better, especially with second balls. We ultimately deserved to win."

Losing coach Sebastian Hoeneß identified the equalizer that started from Kim Min-jae's head as crucial. He noted, "Looking at the goal, we could say we gifted the victory. However, we also did many things well. The result is disappointing. Conceding a goal just before halftime was definitely a big blow. It would have helped if we had entered halftime ahead."

Despite not being at 100% condition, Kim Min-jae showed a solid performance. He began feeling pain in his left Achilles tendon since last fall and subsequently noticed issues with his right knee as well. Recently, he has reportedly requested to take a break.

Nonetheless, Kim Min-jae played the full 90 minutes and acted as a pivotal role in the equalizer. On the day, he recorded three successful long passes (3/4), one tackle, 11 clearances, five recoveries, and a 100% win rate in aerial duels (4/4). The football statistics outlet 'Footmob' gave him a rating of 7.7.

Applause poured in from Germany as well. Most awarded him the highest rating on the team of 2, acknowledging his performance. 'Spox' praised, "He was Bayern's best defender. Kim Min-jae recorded several outstanding defensive plays. He even created Olise's equalizer by winning an aerial ball."

'TZ' also noted, "Kim Min-jae, who has been suffering from Achilles tendonitis since October, had to grit his teeth once more. He showed stable performance without mistakes and sent many passes forward. This is what coach Kompany expects from him," awarding him a rating of 2. 'Avent Zeitung' also stated, "He confidently defended against the towering Woltemade alongside Dier, showing great confidence," giving him a score of 2.

'Sport' gave Kim Min-jae a rating of 2.5. The outlet noted, "When the organization was lacking in the early stages of the match, he harshly criticized his teammates. He had to extinguish many fires created by Davies and Palhinha right in front of him. In most situations, he prevented worse things from happening. However, he wasn't mistake-free while pushing forward."

[Photo] Bayern Munich social media.

[OSEN]