Bayern Munich central defender Dayo Upamecano praised Kim Min-jae.
Bayern Munich won 4-0 over Stuttgart in the seventh round of the German Bundesliga in the 2024-25 season at 1:30 a.m. on the 20th (Korea Standard Time) at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.
Kim Min-jae and Upamecano, who played as Munich’s central defenders, followed suit. The game was played with Munich’s unilateral control. On the other hand, Stuttgart failed to launch a clear attack. Even when Stuttgart attacked, Kim Min-jae and Upamecano calmly blocked it.
According to the soccer statistics media “Foot Mob,” Kim Min-jae was in good condition with 92 percent pass success rate (97/105), 11 passes in offensive areas, 77 percent long pass success rate (10/13), two clearings, and five recoveries. “Foot Mob” gave Kim a 7.5 point rating.
“Ufamecano and Kim Min-jae were criticized for their past mistakes and poor performance. However, the two players are making efforts to overcome them. Coach Vincent Kompany has found a promising system that can take advantage of the strengths of the defenders.”
Upamecano praised Kim Min-jae. He said, “Playing with Kim Min-jae is very compatible. He has gained more confidence. Like me, he received a lot of criticism. But that’s soccer. We have to wake up and do our best all the time.”
Kim Min-jae is doing well this season. He looks different from the previous season. Kim joined Munich through the summer transfer market ahead of the 2023-24 season. At first, he gained the upper hand in the main competition, but his condition gradually declined. The problem was that he couldn’t rest properly.
It eventually became a bench resource. Munich planned to beef up its central defenders through the winter transfer market. As a result, it recruited Eric Dier. Thomas Tuchel appointed Dier. Kim Min-jae was listed as a substitute rather than a starter.
Ahead of this season, several teams targeted Kim Min-jae. However, the player had no intention of moving. He wanted to challenge himself to become a starting member. “There were rumors that I was leaving the team, but I never did that, and I want to adapt well here and show good performance,” Kim said. 안전놀이터
He is returning to his Napoli days. Kim Min-jae was selected as the main defender under Vincent Kompany. After the end of the fourth round of the Bundesliga, he was also listed on the official Lee Ju-yi team selected by the league secretariat.
He was also praised in a match against Leverkusen. “Kim Min-jae was a reliable center back. He showed a tough defense against Leverkusen and got angry when the umpire blew the whistle. He blocked Leverkusen’s attacks several times and displayed the necessary stability in the rear,” German team TZ said.
The media said, “If you look at Kim Min-jae leaving Allianz Arena after the Munich game, you can’t tell how the game went. Regardless of the result, Kim Min-jae is always calm and polite. I couldn’t tell by his facial expression that he had the best performance against Leverkusen.”
Kim played as a starter in the second round of the UEFA Champions League phase, against Aston Villa and the Bundesliga against Frankfurt. He also scored his first goal of the season against Frankfurt. Kim Min-jae, who is looking for good times, is expected to display stellar performance in the future.
