The performance of Bae Jun-ho (22, Stoke City), who scored his third goal, impressed the coach.
Stoke City achieved a 3-1 home victory against QPR in the 39th round of the 2024-2025 English Championship, held on the 30th (Korea time) at the bet365 Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, England.
A 'Korean Derby' between Yang Min-hyuk and Bae Jun-ho took place in the English second division Championship. Yang Min-hyuk and Bae Jun-ho, who were both called up to the national team, faced off as opponents. Bae Jun-ho scored his third goal in the league, and Yang Min-hyuk responded with his debut goal.
It was the best gift for Korean fans. The player who scored first was Bae Jun-ho, 'the king of Stoke City.' In the 21st minute of the first half, Bae Jun-ho calmly tapped in a ground cross delivered by Chama Deu from the right side, shaking the net. That was already his third goal in the league.
Yang Min-hyuk also scored his debut goal. After Stoke City took a 2-0 lead, Yang Min-hyuk entered the game as a joker at the start of the second half. In the 33rd minute of the second half, Yang Min-hyuk finally scored. He accurately struck a cross coming from the right with his left foot from outside the box to net his first goal.
According to the soccer statistics site 'Footmob', Bae Jun-ho played 69 minutes, creating 2 chances, including 1 goal, with a passing accuracy of 83% (19/23), 1 cross, 3 passes in the attacking area, 3 tackles, and 4 ground duels, earning a score of 8.1.
After the match, Mark Robbins, the coach of Stoke City, praised Bae Jun-ho highly. He noted, 'Bae Jun-ho's goal was like a joke. It was a wonderful goal, and he struck it really well. He cleverly entered the space, and the touch on the ball was perfect. It was truly an excellent performance.'
With Bae Jun-ho's goal, Stoke City rode a wave of momentum. Robbins expressed satisfaction, saying, 'If we play like today, we can reach a higher level. The injured players are back, and the understanding of the game is higher. I hope we can keep this up until the end of the season.'
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