Kim Min-jae (28) received harsh criticism from the German media ahead of the rival match against Bayer Leverkusen.
Bayern Munich will play Leverkusen at 1:30 a.m. on the 29th (Korea Standard Time) at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, in the fifth round of the “2024-2025 German Bundesliga.”
Leverkusen was the team that stopped Munich from losing 12 consecutive league games last season. It became the first Bundesliga team to win the title without a loss, and is expected to establish a two-way system with Munich again this season.
Ahead of the “Preview Final,” the leading German media outlet Kicker compared the two teams’ power by position. “Myeongga Munich wants a counterattack. Last season, Munich’s 12th consecutive league championship was broken by Leverkusen, shaking the German soccer hierarchy,” the media said. “Who will have the upper hand this season?”
Kicker said Leverkusen’s three-top, consisting of Jonathan Ta, Edmond Topsova and Piero Incapi, is superior to Kim Min-jae and Dayo Upamecano’s Munich in the center back category.
“Coach Bangsaeng Kompany wants fast players while increasing the defense line. He is using Kim Min-jae and Upamecano to replace Eric Dier,” the media reported. “The duo of Kim Min-jae and Upamecano did not perform well in the opening match against Wolfsburg. It was a match that confirmed the suspicion that they were Munich’s weakest center-back combination last season. We will be able to see how this combination will work in the upcoming match.”
He also criticized Kim Min-jae. “Kim Min-jae is not good at passing quality and ball defense. Upamecano should have a good and stable partner. Hiroki Ito, a “newbie” who is recovering from a metatarsal injury, could be a substitute,” the media reported.
In contrast, Leverkusen’s three-top team received favorable reviews. “Ta is Germany’s best defender and a solid defensive leader. Tapsova is also recognized as the league’s best game opener. She is synonymous with consistency in Incapi,” he said. “The three-back Leverkusen’s teamwork is even better than that of Munich, where top-level players like Ufamecano are always on shaky ground.”
As kicker pointed out, Kim made a big mistake in the opening game, leading to a loss. When the score was tied 1 to 1 in the 10th minute of the second half, Kim lost the ball while trying to back pass to the goalie to avoid opponent team pressure, which led to a loss. At the time, Kim had a pass success rate of 79 percent (60/76), including 12 pass misses in the first half alone. This was a rare performance for Kim, who boasts a high pass success rate and stability.
However, Kim did not make any mistakes afterward. In the second round against Freiburg after the opening game, he led the team to a clean and scoreless victory. On the day, stable defense and pass success rate reached 95 percent (115/121), including five full-time kickbacks and five wins in competition for aerial balls. Kim Min-jae also had more passes than anyone else in the game. 먹튀검증
At the match against Bremen in the fourth round, Kim showed off his iron-clad defense. While playing full time, he successfully played in competitions for five balls in the air and two tackles. Both of them had a success rate of 100 percent. Kim also had a high success rate of 92 percent, as well as three interceptions and two clearances. Kim was also selected in the fourth round of Bundesliga by the soccer statistics magazine “Huscoordcom.”