German media doubting the qualification of Kim Min-jae (27, Bayern Munich) for the starting lineup found a good prey from the opening game. It is a point that has nothing to say because Kim Min-jae provided an excuse for a fatal mistake.
Wolfsburg failed to take advantage of the early situation of losing the ball due to dangerous dribbling. "It was Kim Min-jae who was lucky, but even that was until 55 minutes." At the same time, he criticized the mistake by giving him a rating of five points, the lowest in the team.
Kim Min-jae is anxious again about the new season. He made the worst mistake ever in an away game against Wolfsburg, the opener of the first round of the Bundesliga 2024-25 season that ended at the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg, Germany on Wednesday .
At the 10th minute of the second half when the score was tying 1-1, Kim came up to the halfway line with the ball, but failed to handle the ball. He lost the ball while turning his body back under pressure from the opponent team's striker. Wolfsburg turned an easy opportunity into an upset goal. Kim Min-jae's stake was a significant loss.
Fortunately, it did not lead to defeat. Bayern Munich tied the game 2-2 with its own goal and Serge Gnabry's come-from-behind goal eight minutes before the game ended to secure a thrilling victory. With everyone smiling with sighs, Kim was unable to do so.
New coach Bang Sang-Kompany did not provide Kim with a full-time opportunity. As if scolding him for his mistake, he replaced him with Eric Dier at the 36th minute of the second half. It was the worst start of the season for Kim, who was expected to regain his starting position.
Kim Min-jae, who joined Bayern Munich in the last season, showed a big twist. Up until the middle of the season, he was worried about overwork while playing full-time in every game, but he tended to spend time on the bench at the end. Losing his position as the starting player in less than a year was a big mistake.
Kim lost his starting position after visiting the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup held in Qatar early this year. Perhaps due to playing too many games throughout the season, he lost defense capability monstrous due to physical deterioration and lack of concentration. At that time, as Dyer, who joined on loan, played a major role, Kim had to hand over the starting center back position.
Kim Min-jae himself contributed to the devaluation by making a fatal mistake. In the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal match, which Kim had a chance to play as a starting player for the first time in a long time, Kim was eliminated due to two mistakes that resulted in a loss. Since then, the German media have doubts about Kim's performance and have been busy making transfer targets.
Throughout the second half of last season, the local team remained cool to Kim Min-jae. "It was a season that did not meet expectations, but we were able to find some positive factors," Kim said while summarizing Kim's 2023-24 season.
Media outlets said, "It comes with high and bad values. When he joined the team, he showed solid defense for a while. However, he received the lowest rating of six points three times in his debut season. I have never felt more anxious than a player who recorded a transfer fee of 50 million euros (74 billion won)."
Against this backdrop, it was not impossible for Bayern Munich to dispose of Kim in the summer transfer market. Inter Milan, Manchester United, and Atletico Madrid showed interest in recruiting Kim Min-jae in line with their unstable position.
Kim tried to prove his value by staying at Bayern Munich. He looked forward to the opportunity to recover his reputation calmly while dealing with injuries in Korea, completing his pre-season schedule. Fortunately, new coach Kompany viewed Kim Min-jae's personality positively and began to use him as a starter. At the German Football Association Pokal, which was held ahead of the opening game of the league, he was deployed first, showing good performance, raising expectations for his change from the last season.
"Kim Min-jae has completely changed," TZ said right before the opening game. "He had a chaotic first season, but he reminds me of a defense monster again." However, he was robbed of his ball in the last room, and he was unable to catch up with him at the speed of his strength, which made him sigh. 토토사이트 순위