Kim Min-jae (29, Bayern Munich) has once again proven his value. Leading the team to a victory without conceding a goal with his solid defensive capabilities, he became the first Korean player since 'legend' Park Ji-sung (44) to reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for three consecutive seasons.
Bayern Munich dominated Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-0 in the second leg of the Round of 16 of the 2024-2025 season UEFA Champions League (UCL) held at the BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, at 5 a.m. on Dec. 12 (Korean time). Having won the first leg 3-0, Bayern confirmed their advancement to the quarter-finals with a total score of 5-0.
In this match, Bayern fielded its best lineup. Harry Kane took the lead role, while Kingsley Coman, Michael Olise, and Jamal Musiala were deployed behind him. Konrad Laimer and Leon Goretzka held the midfield, and the back four consisted of Alphonso Davies, Kim Min-jae, Dayot Upamecano, and Joshua Kimmich. Jonas Urbig guarded the goal.
With a three-goal lead, Leverkusen applied strong pressure and aggressive tactics from the start. However, the Munich defense, especially Kim Min-jae, showcased perfect defensive ability, thwarting the opposition’s attacks.
In the 38th minute of the first half, Leverkusen's defender Mario Hermoso was substituted due to injury, disrupting the team's strength. Then, in the 44th minute, Leverkusen's Patrick Schick had a header in a corner kick situation that struck the post, missing a crucial opportunity. In the 45th minute, Leverkusen launched a quick counter-attack, but Kim Min-jae remarkably caught up with incredible speed, perfectly blocking the opposing attack.
Kim Min-jae demonstrated his ability to neutralize Leverkusen's attacks throughout the match. In particular, he was dominant in his matchup against the opposition's key striker, Jeremy Frimpong.
Kim Min-jae's contributions continued into the second half. In the 37th minute, while Frimpong attempted a breakthrough, Kim Min-jae utilized his speed and physicality to completely shut him down. The most impressive moment came in the 42nd minute, when Frimpong had a decisive opportunity just outside the penalty box, but Kim Min-jae, with explosive speed, caught up and blocked the ball, neutralizing the opponent's attack. After this incident, Frimpong appeared frustrated, lowering his head.
The match, which ended without a score in the first half, saw Bayern break the deadlock with a goal in the 53rd minute. Kimmich connected a free kick earned in the opponent's territory into a cross, and as the opposing defense failed to clear the ball, Kane calmly finished it off to take the lead.
This was essentially a decisive goal for the match. Under the pressure of needing to overturn a four-goal deficit, Leverkusen began to feel the physical burden, while Bayern succeeded in adding another goal. In the 71st minute, Davies received a pass from Kane and shook the net with a powerful left-footed shot, confirming the victory.
Bayern continued to operate the game thoroughly, neutralizing Leverkusen's counterattacks, and the match concluded with Bayern winning 2-0.
Kim Min-jae recorded outstanding defensive statistics in this match as well. According to the soccer statistics media 'Footmob,' Kim Min-jae achieved a pass success rate of 84% (32/38), won 5 aerial duels (62%), cleared the ball 10 times, headed clear 7 times, intercepted 2 times, and recovered the ball 3 times.
Notably, he demonstrated perfect performance in blocking opposing attacks without committing fouls. While applying pressure to the opponent, he minimized mistakes in dangerous areas with precise defending, playing a decisive role in Bayern's clean sheet victory.
'Footmob' awarded Kim Min-jae a score of 7.6, acknowledging his contributions, while 'Sofascore' also gave him a high rating of 7.5. This was the highest score among center-backs from both teams.
German media also praised Kim Min-jae. The prominent German publication 'Bild' noted, "There was once a moment of uncertainty in ball handling, but he immediately recovered during the competition with Frimpong and maintained concentration. He showed a very dedicated performance," awarding him a score of 2. Considering that a lower score is better in the German rating system, it is virtually a near-perfect score.
With this advancement to the quarter-finals, Kim Min-jae left a new mark in the history of Korean football. He became the first Korean player since Park Ji-sung to reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for three consecutive seasons.
Having reached the Champions League quarter-finals with SSC Napoli in the 2022-2023 season, Kim Min-jae announced his presence after reaching the semifinals (final four) with Bayern last season. Now, he is back in the quarter-finals this season, establishing himself as a top-tier defender in Europe.
Bayern's opponent in the quarter-finals is Italy’s stronghold Inter Milan. Inter Milan advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Feyenoord 4-1 on aggregate, with Hwang In-beom absent. Kim Min-jae has experience facing Inter Milan from his time at Napoli. Many fans are eagerly awaiting whether Bayern can reach the semifinals in this upcoming matchup.
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