According to a report by the Bavarian Football, a sports media outlet, on the 30th (Korea time), Tuchel said, “Kim Min-jae and Eric Maxim Chupo Motting (34) were absent due to injury (against Copenhagen). I hope they will return to the game on the weekend. We still have to wait and see how they recover.”
Munich will meet Union Berlin in the 13th round of the Bundesliga at 11:30 p.m. on the 2nd. The competition for the top ranks is fierce. Bayer Leverkusen, led by head coach Xavi Alonso, is leading Munich (32 points) by two points with 11 wins, one draw and 34 points in 12 games. VfB Stuttgart (27 points) and Borussia Dortmund (24 points), the runner-up of last season, are trailing.
A monster defender was also a human being. After moving to Munich, Kim Min-jae, who played in both the league and the UEFA Champions League, suffered abnormal conditions. On March 30, Kim missed the UCL match between Munich and Copenhagen. “Kim Min-jae cannot play due to hip injury. Nusair Mazraoui (26) also has health problems,” Munich said through its official channel. Kim, who had been pushing hard even in Germany, played full-time in both A-matches in November.
With both Kim Min-jae and Matthias the Licht (24) absent, Tuchel temporarily hired midfielder Leon Goretzka (28) as a central defender. According to Football Association (Footmob), Goretzka recorded a pass success rate of 93 percent (121/130), one blocking, one clearout, and two aerial ball competitions in the match against Copenhagen. Munich tied Copenhagen 0-0 at home with no goal.
Fortunately, Kim’s injury does not appear to be significant. In a sketch released by Munich on June 30, Kim Min-jae was seen competing with Jamal Musiala (20). He underwent training amid snow. “We don’t know yet about his chance to play in the next game. We have to wait and see how he recovers,” Tuchel said.
Last season, Kim Min-jae played a key center back for Italy’s prestigious Napoli. He played for Fenerbahce in Turkiye for only one season in the 2021-2022 season, and succeeded in entering the big league for the first time. It is a remarkable growth. Kim Min-jae, who started in the opening game of the Italian Serie A, played a total of 35 games in the 2022-2023 season, leading Napoli’s defense.
Napoli won the Scudetto title (the Serie A title) for the first time in 33 years thanks to stellar performance by Kim Min-jae, the main center back. Kim Min-jae won the season’s best defender award and was recognized in Italy, which is famous for its defensive soccer. Many fans have called for Kim Min-jae, who has improved his skills. Many players including Manchester United of the English Premier League, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain of the French Ligue 1 league have been mentioned. 에볼루션 바카라사이트
Kim chose Munich, a prestigious German club. According to local reports in Italy, Kim’s transfer fee was 50 million euros. He is the third highest ever in Munich. Munich even gave Kim full confidence by guaranteeing him a five-year contract and giving him a key defender’s uniform number 3.
Coach Kim Min-jae was also welcomed by the team. Tuchel is a mastermind who gave Chelsea the UEFA Champions League trophy in the 2020-2021 season. At his first meeting with Kim, Tuchel gave a big hug and a big smile, which made headlines in Germany as well.
Although he was recognized as the best center back in Italy, competition seemed inevitable. The Dutch defender The Licht and the French national team’s starting member Dayo Upamecano were stationed in Munich. The Licht has been recognized in Europe since his teenage years. The Licht, who wore the captain’s armband with Ajax at a young age, moved to Juventus in Italy in 2019 and headed to Munich in July last year. The transfer fee was 67 million euros.
Local media including Germany’s Bild expressed high expectations for Munich, which has the world’s best defense. Kim Min-jae predicted that he would maintain a competitive system with The Licht and Upamecano for the time being. He also analyzed that Tuchel, who has flexible tactical skills, would appoint them as three-backs.
Since the start of the season, Kim has firmly maintained his starting position among top center backs. When The Licht and Upamecano were out injured, Kim played full time in every game and took charge of the back of Munich. He captivated Tuchel with his solid defense and outstanding build-up ability.
He also excelled in European matches. Kim Min-jae played full-time in Munich’s first four matches of the Champions League. Munich won all four matches that Kim played, and secured early advance to the round of 16. As the lone lead in Group A, it beat Manchester United, Galatasaray (Turkiye), and FC Copenhagen (Denmark).
However, it was argued that Kim’s performance was somewhat inferior to that of the previous season. German legendary midfielder Lothar Matheus once pointed out Kim as an unstable factor in Munich. He made more mistakes than last season. In fact, Kim displayed fantastic defense against outstanding strikers such as Romelu Lukaku (then Inter Milan, current AS Roma), Tammy Abraham (Roma), and Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) when he was playing for Napoli.
It was a tight race. Kim Min-jae started in all 12 matches of the German Bundesliga this season. Meanwhile, The Licht and Upamecano were sidelined alternately due to injury. Kim could not help but feel heavy burden. Even Kim played full-time in all four matches of the Champions League. As of Tuesday, Kim Min-jae (1543) played the longest period of time in Munich.
He is Kim Min-jae, who played every game even when he was feeling a bit weak. Local media in Germany also sided with Kim Min-jae, who was overloaded. Avent Zeitung, a local media outlet in Munich, praised Kim Min-jae as a “hidden hero for Bayern” and paid attention to his performance this season. “Kim Min-jae was responsible for 90 percent of Munich’s total game time this season. The monster defender is improving in every game,” the media said.
Munich is aiming for the top spot in the Bundesliga and the European Champions League. With the return of The Licht expected in January next year, Munich wants to add another center back in the winter transfer market. Currently, candidates include Raphael Varane of the Manchester United and Takehiro Tomiyasu of Arsenal.
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