'Soccer master' Lee Jae-sung (33, Mainz 05) has been named to the Bundesliga Best XI.

On the 8th (Korean time), Mainz defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-1 in an away match of the 25th round of the 2024-2025 Bundesliga season held at Borussia Park in Mönchengladbach, Germany.

With this, Mainz, who achieved four consecutive victories in the league, recorded 44 points (13 wins, 5 draws, 7 losses) and rose to 3rd place, overtaking Eintracht Frankfurt. Meanwhile, Mönchengladbach fell to 9th place with 37 points (11 wins, 4 draws, 10 losses).

Mainz deployed a 3-4-3 formation. Up front were Lee Jae-sung, Jonathan Burkhardt, and Paul Nebel, while the midfield was supported by Philipp Mbene, Nadim Amiri, Sano Kaishu, and Anthony Kasi. Dominik Koer, Moritz Jentz, and Danny da Costa formed the defensive line, and Robin Zentner guarded the goal.

Mönchengladbach chose a 4-2-3-1 formation. Up front, team Klein deinst aimed for goals, with Robin Hack, Kevin Stöger, and Nathan Ngumu positioned in the attacking midfield. Philipp Zander and Julian Weigl were the defensive midfielders, and the back line consisted of Lukas Ulrich, Nico Elvedi, Marvin Friedrich, and Stefan Liner. Jonas Omlin took charge of the goal.

The star of the match was Lee Jae-sung. He not only recorded two assists but also earned a free kick that led to a goal, being directly or indirectly involved in all three goals created by Mainz. Lee Jae-sung truly brought down Mönchengladbach.

Mainz, who were leading the match, scored the opening goal in the 39th minute of the first half. Lee Jae-sung made a low, fast cross from the left side of the box, which Nebel calmly finished to shake the net. This marked Lee Jae-sung's fourth assist of the league.

Mainz went ahead 2-0. In the 3rd minute of the second half, Lee Jae-sung earned a foul with a good turn near the opponent's box. The free kick opportunity earned by Lee Jae-sung led to another goal. Koer headed Amiri's cross, and pushed the deflected ball into the net.

Mainz conceded a consolation goal in the 28th minute of the second half, but there was no issue with their victory. Rather, they suppressed the pursuit by scoring a late goal in the 32nd minute. Lee Jae-sung provided a good one-two pass near the box, and Amiri, who received it, cut through the net with a powerful long-range shot, making it 3-1. The match ended in a complete victory for Mainz.

According to soccer statistics media 'Footmob,' Lee Jae-sung covered the pitch for approximately 87 minutes with a passing success rate of 89% (41/46), creating 2 chances, successfully dribbling once, making 5 passes in the attacking area, completing 1 tackle, intercepting 3 times, and recovering the ball 8 times. He received the highest rating of 8.8 and was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the match.

Lee Jae-sung has now achieved double-digit attacking points in the league. By adding 2 assists on this day, he recorded 6 goals and 5 assists in the Bundesliga. If he adds just one more attacking point, he will surpass his career high set last season (7 goals, 4 assists).

The actively performing Lee Jae-sung has also been named to the Bundesliga Team of the Week selected by Kicker. He confidently filled the left midfielder position in a 3-5-2 formation. Alongside Lee Jae-sung, Amiri, Nebel, and Koer were also selected for the Best XI.

At the age of 32, Lee Jae-sung is experiencing a new prime. This is the third time he has been included in the Team of the Week according to Kicker this season. His performances against Bayern Munich in December last year and against St. Pauli last month also earned him selections for the Best XI, recognizing his contributions. This is one more time than key Bayern defender Kim Min-jae (who has been selected twice).

Meanwhile, Lee Jae-sung is also looking to make his first UEFA Champions League (UCL) appearance. The Bundesliga grants UCL qualification to the top four teams for the next season.

If Mainz, now in 3rd place, maintains their position, Lee Jae-sung and Hong Hyun-seok could also become 'Korean Re' players performing on the UCL stage, following Kim Min-jae and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) and Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord). Lee Jae-sung has yet to step onto the European tournament stage throughout his career. Hong Hyun-seok has only experience in the UEFA Conference League.

There are 9 matches left in the league schedule. Mainz also aspires to challenge for the club's best-ever performance. Founded in 1905, Mainz is typically accustomed to mid-lower standings, with the best record being 5th place achieved in the 2010-2011 season. Mainz is dreaming of making new history along with Lee Jae-sung.

[Photo] Mainz social media.

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