Even without Kim Min-jae, Bayern Munich smiled.
On the 20th (Korea time), Bayern Munich won 4-0 against Heidenheim in the away match of the 30th round of the 2024-2025 season of the German Bundesliga, which took place at FC Heidenheim's Voith Arena. This victory increased Bayern's points to 72 (22 wins, 6 draws, 2 losses), creating a 9-point gap from second-placed Bayer Leverkusen (63 points), thereby effectively boosting their chances of winning.
The away team Munich employed a 4-2-3-1 formation. Jonas Urbig guarded the goal, while Raphael Guerreiro, Josip Stanisic, Eric Dier, and Konrad Laimer formed the back four. In the midfield, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Joshua Kimmich coordinated, and Serge Gnabry, Michael Olise, and Kingsley Coman were positioned in front, with Harry Kane serving as the lone striker.
Kim Min-jae was excluded from the starting lineup and appeared on the bench. This choice considered the controversy surrounding Kim Min-jae's overuse. He drew criticism after making a mistake that led to a goal in the match against Inter Milan, which ended in a 2-2 draw on the 17th in Milan, Italy, during the quarterfinal second leg of the UEFA Champions League (UCL).
As a result, Bayern could not overturn their 1-2 defeat in the first leg at home, being eliminated with a total score of 3-4. It seemed as though they could turn things around with Harry Kane's opening goal, but they conceded 2 goals just 3 minutes later and fell to their knees. Inter, who overcame Bayern, will face Barcelona in the semifinals.
Kim Min-jae started and partnered with Eric Dier. His inclusion had been a topic of interest even before the match. Kim Min-jae had been criticized for making a mistake that led to a goal in the previous match against Dortmund and was not in top physical condition, having only participated in one hour of training on Monday.
Despite this, Bayern once again featured Kim Min-jae as a starter, even with their defense on the brink. Head Coach Vincent Kompany established a backline of Josip Stanisic, Kim Min-jae, Dier, and Konrad Laimer. However, due to the effects of overuse, Kim Min-jae was unable to deliver his best performance.
The effects of overuse were evident for Kim Min-jae throughout the match. In the 61st minute, on a corner kick, Benjamin Pavard broke through the defense and scored with a powerful header. He managed to outmaneuver Laimer, who was marking him, and won a header duel against Kim Min-jae, roaring in celebration. Shortly after, Coach Kompany substituted Kim Min-jae with Raphael Guerreiro.
After the match, Kim Min-jae was pegged as the scapegoat for the defeat. German 'Bild' gave him an unusual low rating of 6 points, while 'Kicker' rated him 5 points. 'Spox' also assigned Kim Min-jae a score of 5.5. 'TZ' similarly gave him a rating of 5 points.
Moreover, TZ noted, "The International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) cited Kim Min-jae as an example to draw attention to the extreme fatigue of players. Nevertheless, he was included in the starting 11 again," and pointed out, "He has suffered from Achilles tendinopathy for months and has not fully recovered from the bronchitis that had troubled him recently."
Although his performance was below expectations, it should not be forgotten that Kim Min-jae has become an icon of overuse, as TZ mentioned. He has struggled with Achilles tendinopathy since October of last year but could not take a break due to numerous injuries among his teammates. As a result, FIFPro has voiced concerns, stating, "Kim Min-jae has played around 55 matches this season between his club and national team. According to prediction systems, he could exceed 70 matches by the end of the season, the highest in the world. Especially, he played 20 matches in winter alone, with an average of only 3.7 days between matches. He also traveled long distances 20 times, totaling 74,000 km."
Fully aware of this, Coach Kompany rejected all criticism directed at Kim Min-jae. He asserted, "Everyone can have their own opinions, but I do not agree with them. The important thing is that Kim Min-jae is going to help our team become champions this season and will do so. We must now focus all our attention on winning the title."
Understanding this, Coach Kompany rested Kim Min-jae by taking him out of the lineup. In the absence of Kim Min-jae, Bayern quickly surged forward. In the 13th minute, Kane received a pass from Olise and struck powerfully with his left foot from the arc, recording his 24th league goal.
Additionally, in the 66th minute, Gnabry delivered an advanced pass to Laimer, who penetrated into the defensive back space. Laimer calmly finished in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper, scoring the second goal.
With the momentum on their side, Bayern saw a shot from Guerreiro saved by the goalkeeper in the penalty box in the 37th minute. Coman captured the second ball, drove deep into the penalty area, and netted the third goal.
The first half ended with Bayern leading 3-0.
Sustaining their momentum, Bayern maintained the flow in the second half, with Kimmich finishing a pass from Guerreiro with his right foot in the 56th minute, scoring the final goal.
The match concluded with a dominant 4-0 victory for Bayern.
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