He had a hard look. There was a reason. Kim Min-jae ran with a cold and back pain in the match against Jeankt Pauli. The bigger problem is that he can't rest

Apr 01, 2025

He had a hard look. There was a reason. Kim Min-jae ran with a cold and back pain in the match against Jeankt Pauli. The bigger problem is that he can't rest
사진=AP Yonhap News



He had a hard look. There was a reason. Kim Min-jae ran with a cold and back pain in the match against Jeankt Pauli. The bigger problem is that he can't rest
사진=REUTERS Yonhap News
There was a reason why he made such a hard face.

'Monster' Kim Min-jae (29, Bayern Munich) started in the 27th round of the German Bundesliga in the 2024-2025 season against Jeankt Pauli at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on the 29th (Korea time). Bayern, led by Kim Min-jae's performance, won the game 3-2. Bayern, which had 65 points (20 wins, 5 draws, 2 losses), maintained its lead by maintaining a point difference from the second-place Leverkusen (59 points).

The eyes were on Kim Min-jae. Kim Min-jae was unable to play in the seventh and eighth rounds of the 2026 North-China World Cup Asian qualifiers against Oman and Jordan due to injuries. Originally on the list, he was dropped. Bayern coach Bang Sang Kompany himself mentioned "I hope Kim Min-jae doesn't miss too long, but he will miss the next few weeks" "Bayern did not adequately protect Kim Min-jae from injury," said A team coach Hong Myung-bo, who lost his key defender in a surprise move" and became a hot topic in the German media.




He had a hard look. There was a reason. Kim Min-jae ran with a cold and back pain in the match against Jeankt Pauli. The bigger problem is that he can't rest
사진=REUTERS Yonhap News
Kim Min-jae returned faster than expected. He showed up at the training site on Saturday. It was exactly 10 days after he collapsed from injury. Still not 100%, Kim Min-jae was in the starting lineup against Jean-Cette Pauli. It was due to the situation of the Bayern defense. Bayern suffered the aftermath of the A-match properly. Kim Min-jae's partner, Dayo Upamecano, and main left back Alfonso Davis, fell due to injuries. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was also unable to play. There is no main defender other than Kim Min-jae. Coach Kompany launched the Rafael Geheiro-Kim Min-jae-Eric Dyer-Conlatrimer combination. Jonas Urbihi defended the goal.

Jeankt Pauli put Elias Saad, Noah Weissauft and two wingers at the front line, aiming for Dyer, Geheiro and the back space, which are slow to focus on. Instead of a bold forward defense, Kim Min-jae kept the rear stable. Overall, his movements were not neat, but he led the defense well without making any significant mistakes. Kim Min-jae never allowed a dribble breakthrough on the day and did not lose his ball ownership. He recorded three clearings and three recoveries. The pass success rate reached 92%. The German media TZ gave the middle three points and had to grit once again due to the injury of Upamecano. His performance should be evaluated higher.'

He had a hard look. There was a reason. Kim Min-jae ran with a cold and back pain in the match against Jeankt Pauli. The bigger problem is that he can't rest
Photo=capture Twitter
Kim Min-jae's expression, which was moving to greet his fans after the game, showed a hard hit. Bayern reporter Philip Kessler said on the 1st that `Kim Min-jae played in the match against Jeankt Pauli with a sore throat and a bad cough.' He is also suffering from back pain due to this. In fact, he said he needed more rest to recover. In other words, he devoted himself to the team despite the worst. Considering this, it was a remarkable performance.




The problem is that Kim Min-jae cannot rest. Japanese defender Hiroki Ito, who was acquired in the transfer market last summer in the match against Jeankt Pauli, also collapsed during the game. I got hurt and then re-injured my recovered area. As a result of a detailed diagnosis, long-term injury is inevitable. It's actually a season out. Even Hiroki, who can cover both the side and the central defense, is expected to put a greater load on Kim Min-jae. Bayern already lacks defensive depth.

He had a hard look. There was a reason. Kim Min-jae ran with a cold and back pain in the match against Jeankt Pauli. The bigger problem is that he can't rest
ReutersYonhap News
He had a hard look. There was a reason. Kim Min-jae ran with a cold and back pain in the match against Jeankt Pauli. The bigger problem is that he can't rest
ReutersYonhap News
TZ said, `Kim Min-jae's Achilles tendon condition has improved a little, but he has not fully recovered.'Kim Min-jae needs a rest to recover. Kompany is in a dilemma. He said, 'I'm considering whether to use Eric Dier and Josip Stanisic, who are relatively slow (defenders), or continue to use Kim Min-jae.' Bayern is fiercely competing with Leverkusen for the lead right now, and will play Inter Milan in the first leg of the European Champions League quarterfinals on the 9th. Kim Min-jae is the only fast central defender in the team favored by Kompany. He also has a high understanding of tactics. As the world cannot stop the striker without Kim Min-jae, Kompany's struggles are expected to grow.

TZ said it is also considering using João Palinha, who has a good tackle, as a defensive midfielder to ease the burden on defenders. Palinha has been away from the main role due to affairs.






This article was translated by Naver AI translator.