Korean Midfielder Lee Kang-in Starts for PSG in Defeat; Kim Min-jae Remains on Bench for Bayern Munich

Courtesy of Lee Kang-in's instagram

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) suffered a 3-2 loss to FC Barcelona in the opening leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals at Parc des Princes in Paris.

Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in started for PSG but was substituted out in the 61st minute with the team leading 2-1. However, Barcelona quickly equalized in the following minute and secured the winning goal 15 minutes later.

The return leg of the quarterfinal matchup will take place in Spain next Tuesday.
 

▲ Courtesy of Lee Kang-in's instagramThis marks PSG's first appearance in the European quarterfinals since the 2020-2021 season, during which they defeated Barcelona 5-2 on aggregate in the round of 16.

Lee Kang-in played in midfield alongside Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz but did not contribute to the offense. He has recorded one goal and one assist in this year's UEFA tournament.

Raphinha scored the opening goal for Barcelona in the 37th minute, with Ousmane Dembele equalizing for PSG 11 minutes later. Vitinha's goal in the 51st minute briefly put PSG ahead before Lee Kang-in was replaced by Warren Zaire-Emery.

Barcelona's Raphinha scored his second goal of the match to level the score at 2-2, and Andreas Christensen netted the winning goal in the 77th minute.

Meanwhile, in another Champions League match on Tuesday, Korean defender Kim Min-jae remained on the bench for Bayern Munich as they drew 2-2 against Arsenal in London. The second leg of their quarterfinal matchup is scheduled for next Wednesday in Munich.

Kim Min-jae, one of Bayern's summer signings, has seen a decrease in playing time, with former Tottenham Hotspur center back Eric Dier taking his place in the lineup.

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Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com