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| Source=Lee Kang-in SNS Capture |
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| Source=Lee Kang-in SNS Capture |
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Is it an unspoken pressure to leave or an inevitable decision.
'Genius Midfielder' Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) missed two consecutive games ahead of the much-awaited European Champions League (UCL) final. Under the current atmosphere, it is difficult to guarantee that he will play in the 2024-2025 UCL final against Inter Milan on the 1st of next month.
PSG coach Luis Enrique put Lee Kang-in on the bench in the Coupe de France final against Stade France at Stade de France in Paris, France on the 25th (Korea time) and set up a midfield team with Bradley Barcola, Usman Dembele, Desiree Doue, Fabian Lewis, Vitinha and João Neves.
Unlike Inter Milan, which competed for the championship until the end of the league, Enrique stressed that the players' game time and condition management are important at a time when they confirmed the Ligue 1 championship early. This is because a large number of key players were put into the game despite injury concerns in the game with just a week left before the final.
Coach Enrique also played the main role in the final Ligue 1 match (3-1 win) against Acer on the 18th.
Lee Kang-in was forgotten before he knew it. He stayed on the bench for two consecutive games. PSG was dragged through the middle of the second half in the 30th minute of the first half against Acer, giving up the first goal to Rashine Shinayoko. Winger Khvicha Kravatskhelia in the 14th minute of the second half, center back Marquiños in the 22nd minute of the second half, and Kravatskhelia in the 43rd minute of the second half made a 3-1 comeback.
In the 15th minute of the second half, Enrique made changes to the strikers and midfielders by dispatching midfielders Warren Zaire-Emery, Senny Mayulu and winger Due without midfielders Neves, Lewis and winger Barcola. In the 29th minute of the second half, striker Gonsalu Hamus was put out without striker Dembele. Given the situation in which the team had to turn the tables, Lee Kang-in's lack of input was somewhat understandable.
The match against Reims was different. PSG took the lead early on with consecutive goals by Barcola in the 16th and 19th minutes of the first half. Achraf Hakimi scored an extra goal in the 43rd minute to end the first half with a 3-0 lead. He could not have let his guard down in the second half, but there seemed to be enough room to put Lee Kang-in in to maintain his sense of real play. Furthermore, 'Ace'Hbicha was unable to play on the day due to his pre-match condition.
However, coach Enrique also turned a blind eye to Lee Kang-in. He replaced the defense first in the 16th minute of the second half. Mendes and Pacho were exchanged for Luca Hernandez and Lucas Veraldu, respectively. It is presumed to be a physical fitness plan in preparation for the Champions League final. In the 26th minute of the second half, he pulled out all three replacement cards. Vitinha, Due and Neves stepped back to the bench, and Hamus, Zaire-Emery and Mayulu were put in. PSG won 3-0 and won its 12th Coupe de France championship.
The commonality of the two games is the substitution of the 'Joker'Harmus, Zaire-Emery and Mayulu. Coach Enrique seems to prioritize Due, who has excellent breakthrough ability, and Hamus, who can post-play, as Joker when he operates the three-top of Barcola-Dembele-Hvicha. The resources prioritized as backup to Neves-Lewis-Vitinya's midfield combination are Zaire-Emery and Mayulu. In particular, Mayulu, who was born in 2006, has been playing more and more recently.
Lee Kang-in and Shinsung winger Ibrahim Mbaye, born in 2008, have recently been close to the position of 'waiting player'. The last two games can be called the 'Preview Inter Milan'. It focused on enhancing the condition and organizational power of PSG's main lineup. Unless variables such as sudden poor condition of the main resources occur, the selection team against Inter Milan is no different from what has already been decided. What Lee Kang-in should aim for is replacement input, but even that doesn't seem easy at the moment.
Lee Kang-in has scored six goals and six assists in 45 games, including the Cup this season. It's the best season ever for the entire season, but its recent position is unsettling. Lee Kang-in, who played in various positions such as zero-top, attacking midfielder, and winger in the Champions League group stage this season, has never started since the round of 16 tournaments. In the second round of the round of 16 against Liverpool, he was replaced in overtime.
Lee Kang-in's position naturally declined as Hvitsa, who moved from Naples to PSG in January, served as the last puzzle of Enrique football and added enormous destructive power to the team. Lee Kang-in hinted at the transfer by deleting the PSG logo and emblem on his personal SNS at a time when his playing time was decreasing.
Lee Kang-in smiled brightly and hugged his teammates and shared joy at the scene of the Cup de France victory ceremony. He couldn't look happier just by looking at his expression, but it would be hard to call a player who can't play for even one minute on the stage of the Champions League final. Will Lee Kang-in be the third Korean to play in the Champions League final after Park Ji-sung and Son Heung-min (Tottenham)? Will Park Ji-sung be able to achieve the first Korean treble that he couldn't? All eyes are on the Allianz Arena at 4 a.m. on June 1.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
