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| AFP Yonhap News |
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| photo capture=Bayern Munich SNS |
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| AP Yonhap News |
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Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain, PSG, France) and Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich, Germany) made the quarterfinals 'Korea Derby'.
PSG and Bayern reached the quarterfinals on the 30th (Korea time) side by side by side in the round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025. PSG beat Lionel Messi of the U.S. 4-0 in the round of 16 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. He scored four goals in the first half alone.
Messi left Barcelona and played for PSG from 2021 to 2023. He broke up with PSG after failing to reach the top of the European Champions League (UCL). PSG achieved that dream in the 2024-2025 season. He won his first treble (three gold medals) since his foundation, reaching the top of the UCL as well as the League 1 and France Cup.
Inter Miami is the only U.S. club in the host country to pass the group stage. Coach Javier Mascherano said "We have achieved the goal we set at the start of this tournament: to advance to the round of 16"Despite the fact that we face the best team in Europe, the Champions League winner, we will play with the same humility and seriousness. If there's one thing the sport has shown us, it's that anything can happen in the game."
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| AP Yonhap News |
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| AP Yonhap News |
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However, Inter Miami was not good enough to overtake PSG. In the 6th minute of the first half, João Neves answered Vitinha's free kick with a header and scored the first goal. It was a prelude. Neves scored multiple goals early in the 39th minute with a right footed shot in front of the goal area after receiving Fabien Lewis' pass.
In the 44th minute of the first half, PSG's cross from the right side of the penalty area was deflected off the body of Inter Miami defender Thomas Aviles and sucked into the goal. It was a lucky own goal. PSG broke the trend with Achraf Hakimi's net goal in the extra time of the first half.
Messi played full time. However, he failed to score a single shot in the first half. He scored two shots in the second half, but failed to open the goal.
Lee Kang-in also stepped on the ground. He was substituted in both the first and second group games. In the first game, the team played instead of Lewis in the 27th minute of the second half when the team was leading 3-0. Lee Kang-in hit a net in extra time in the second half. PSG won a penalty for an opponent's handball foul, and Lee Kang-in succeeded as a kicker. It was the first time in seven months since the league's away game against Angé on November 10 last year.
In the second game, Lee Kang-in was put in place in the 34th minute of the second half. He struggled with a sharp shot at the gate, but failed to prevent the defeat. However, he missed the third game.
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| Reuters Yonhap News |
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| AFP Yonhap News |
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Lee Kang-in was put in place of Hakimi in the 25th minute of the second half in the round of 16. He tried to shoot his left foot in extra time in the second half, but the ball was blocked by the defensive wall. Although he did not score an attack point, he connected all 19 passes to his teammates and recorded a 100% success rate.
Bayern defeated Flamengo (Brazil) 4-2 in the round of 16 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. Harry Kane scored multiple goals. Kim Min-jae, who is recovering from an Achilles injury, finally made the entry but did not participate.
Bayern scored its first goal with an opponent's own goal in the sixth minute of the first half in a corner kick situation. Three minutes later, Kane scored an additional goal with a left-footed mid-range shot. In the 33rd minute of the first half, Gerson scored a comeback goal, but Leon Goretzka scored another goal in the 41st minute of the first half for Bayern.
Bayern, which finished 3-1 in the first half, conceded a penalty goal to Flamengo's Jorginho in the 10th minute of the second half, but Kane returned the flow in the 28th minute of the second half. Kane scored the net with a right footed shot from the front of the penalty area with the help of Joshua Kimmich.
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Bayern said on its official channel on the 23rd that `Kim Min-jae has completed some of the team's training.' Bayern SNS also released a video of Kim Min-jae's training and posted a welcome message, 'It's nice to see you back on the ground, Min-jae'. In the video, Kim Min-jae sweated with his colleagues with a bright face. He showed light physical condition throughout the training.
Kim Min-jae's return is the first in about two months since May. Kim Min-jae, who was suffering from Achilles tendinitis, has devoted himself to treatment since May after Bayern won the championship. Kim Min-jae has been suffering from Achilles pain since October last year.
Kim Min-jae is not expected to participate in the Club World Cup. However, the possibility of playing after the round of 16 is being mentioned due to the rapid return and was also included in the entry.
The quarterfinal match between PSG and Bayern will be held at 1 a.m. on July 6 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
