Exhaustion again and again.

Bayern Munich secured their lead further by defeating Augsburg 3-1 in the 28th round of the 2024-2025 Bundesliga season, held at the WWK Arena in Augsburg, Germany, at 3:30 a.m. (Korea time) on the 5th.

With this victory, Bayern recorded 21 wins, 5 draws, and 2 losses (68 points) this season, extending their lead over 2nd place Bayer Leverkusen (59 points) to 9 points. This puts them in a favorable position in the league title race.

Kim Min-jae continued to play a central role in the defense, performing valiantly throughout the match. Despite suffering from Achilles tendon pain, he has recently been consistently starting, and he stepped onto the pitch without having fully recovered during the A-match break. The burden was even greater, especially since his partner was the slower Eric Dier.

From the first half, Bayern led the flow of the game through ball possession, but Augsburg seized every opportunity. In the 30th minute of the first half, a quick penetrating pass during a set piece exposed the defense's vulnerability, and Dimitrios Yannelis scored the opening goal with a right-foot shot.

Immediately after conceding, Bayern launched a counterattack. In the 42nd minute of the first half, Sané broke through on the left flank and delivered a cross, which Musiala slotted home with a right-footed turning shot, equalizing the match at 1-1 before halftime.

In the second half, Bayern had consecutive attacking chances, but the finishing was disappointing. There was a frustrating moment when a shot from Olise hit the crossbar. Furthermore, Musiala also suffered an injury, compounding their difficulties.

The crucial moment that changed the flow of the game came in the 14th minute of the second half. Kane drew a foul from opposing defender Cedric Cecher during a counterattack, and Cecher, already on a yellow card, was sent off with a second yellow.

With the numerical advantage, Bayern seized the opportunity to take the lead. In the 15th minute of the second half, during a free kick situation, Kimmich switched directions and passed the ball to Olise, who sent an accurate cross, allowing Kane to connect with a diving header for the go-ahead goal.

In the closing moments of the match, Augsburg launched an all-out attack to equalize and created a scoring threat in the 45th minute of the second half. Due to Dier's defensive mistake, the opponent penetrated in front of the goal, but Kim Min-jae quickly approached and interfered with the shot to avert the crisis.

Just before the end of the match, Sané broke into the opponent's territory and attempted a pass, but the ball deflected off a defender and went into the goal, allowing Bayern to score another point. The final score was 3-1 in favor of Bayern.

Returning to the starting lineup amid injuries to Upamecano and Davies, Kim Min-jae was instrumental in the buildup from the start of the match. While the attack slowed when he remained in defense, his involvement in passing as he advanced revived the attacking flow.

In particular, the moment he saved a crisis in the 2-1 situation near the end of the second half, when he took the place of Dier's mistake, highlighted Kim Min-jae's value. Although Berisha had a critical opportunity, Kim Min-jae calmly responded and prevented the goal, showcasing a pivotal moment that restored Bayern's momentum.

However, another injury concern arose amidst the exhaustion. In the dying moments of added time in the second half, Kim Min-jae managed to catch up quickly to thwart an opposing attack as Dier and Paulinha were completely exposed. However, in the process, the opponent struck his foot instead of the ball, causing further impact.

Kim Min-jae achieved a passing success rate of 94% from 77 attempts during the match, showing the most stable passing performance on the team, and he won 3 out of 5 aerial duels. Defensively, he also recorded 1 interception, 4 clearances, and 1 successful tackle.

However, at the end of the match, an opposing player kicked Kim Min-jae's ankle instead of the ball, resulting in an injury. Immediately after the impact, Kim Min-jae hopped on one foot while expressing pain, signaling to the defense not to lose focus.

As Kim Min-jae suffers from Achilles tendonitis, it was inevitable that he would sustain further impact, yet his dedication to the team was commendable. Following the match, the German media 'TZ' disclosed the player ratings and awarded Kim Min-jae a score of 3, noting, "Despite the absence of several defenders and dealing with an Achilles injury and cold symptoms, Kim Min-jae had to play again. Although he showed some shakiness in his early passing, he once again exhibited stable performance characteristic of a 'defensive monster.'"

Another German media outlet, 'AZ,' also awarded him 3 points, stating, "Just three minutes into the match, he made a passing mistake, marking an unpromising start in his 50th Bundesliga appearance. However, following that, he displayed solid and reliable performance."

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