German media predicted Dayot Upamecano as a player who would work alongside Kim Min-jae in the Bayern Munich defense at the beginning of the season. Coach Thomas Tuchel also said that there is no reason to change the starting composition right now. 메이저사이트
Munich is set to play against Augsburg in the second round of the Bundesliga in the 2023/24 season at 0:30 am (Korean time) on the 28th at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.
Munich, who started the season uneasy with a 0-3 loss in the Super Cup against RB Leipzig, lifted the mood again with a 4-0 thrashing of Werder Bremen in the opening match of the league.
In the match against Bremen, where Kane and Matisse Tel played an active part in the attacking line and won, Munich’s debut match Kim Min-jae also shone. Kim Min-jae showed iron wall defense throughout the first half and contributed to the scoreless victory.
In the 33rd minute of the first half, Bremen tried to counterattack, but Kim Min-jae cut it off with his head at the right time, blocking Bremen’s attack. Afterwards, Munich, who took the right to attack, tried Goretzka’s mid-range shot, but it was blocked by Pavlenka’s goalkeeper, and Bremen tried to counterattack again, but Kim Min-jae cut it off with his head again and connected it to Kimmich to block it well. His debut match was excellent, showing a stable defense overall until he was replaced by Matteis Derlicht in the 23rd minute of the second half.
According to football statistics site Foot Mob, Kim Min-jae attempted 72 passes and succeeded in 68, recording a pass success rate of 94%. The long pass success rate was 100% as all four were successful. He also created two chances and showed his strength, the build-up ability. The aerial and ground competitions were not so good, but he performed well overall and received a 7.4 rating.
Upamecano, who competed with Kim Min-jae, also performed well. Upamecano, who played full-time, recorded a 97% pass success rate, adding stability to the build-up, and did not shake much in defense, including 4 clearings and 7 recovery of ownership.
In the midst of this, German media predicted that coach Tuchel would maintain the starting defensive lineup for the last match against Bremen, and the possibility that Upamecano would play an active part as Kim Min-jae’s partner increased.
German media Bavarian Football reported on the 27th that “Coach Tuchel is unlikely to change the center back combination in the match against Augsburg.”
Bavarian Football commented: “If anyone wants to see DeLicht start for this match against Augsburg, they probably won’t like Tuchel’s words.”
According to the report, coach Tuchel mentioned the defense at a press conference against Augsburg and said, “Min-jae Kim and Upamecano did very well against Bremen. The overall defense and compact area have clearly improved. I want to play,” he praised the performance of Min-jae Kim and Upamecano against Bremen.
“Derlicht has just come back from injury and there is still a bit of a gap in his performance. The fact that he played for 30 minutes with a very good performance is important, but that doesn’t mean he will change at his current level.” showed a good performance for about 30 minutes, but said that there would be no change in the starting list.
Coach Tuchel emphasized that Min-jae Kim and Upamecano will be the starters for the time being, unless there is a special tactical change, saying, “The situation can change for tactical reasons.”
Even before the original season, it was the combination of Kim Min-jae and Delicht that was influential as the Munich center back combination. Dutch defender Derlicht is regarded as a world-class center back for his excellent defense. In March and April, he was selected as the Munich Player of the Month and became recognized as Munich’s best defender.
Until last season, De Ligt’s partner was French defender Dayo Upamecano, but he made many mistakes, so it was expected that he would give up the starting position to newly recruited Kim Min-jae. The Licht also revealed that it is working hard to quickly get in sync with Kim Min-jae, who is likely to be a new partner next season.
German media also called Kim Min-jae and Derlicht “two towers for the treble (three crowns)”, expressing great expectations for the two players’ collaboration.
It was also expected that Upamecano’s anxiety would cause difficulties in the main competition. Upamecano continued to make mistakes against Manchester City, the first game of Munich’s pre-season Asian tour, and the prospect that he would be pushed out of the competition was dominant.
But once the season started, the atmosphere changed. After De Ligt suffered a calf injury in the semi-finals of the UEFA (European Football Confederation) Nations League against Croatia in June, his physical condition has not improved yet, and he showed a disappointing performance at the end of the pre-season, and Upamecano took the starting position.
Upamecano showed a compliant performance in both Leipzig and Bremen, and coach Tuchel also seems to have no plans to change the main center bag combination for the time being.
On the other hand, unlike the competition between Derlicht and Upamecano, Kim Min-jae’s starting position seems to be certain for the time being. Director Tuchel continued to reveal his belief in Kim Min-jae through interviews and press conferences.
Even after losing the last Super Cup, Tuchel said, “I think Benjamin Pavar and all three center backs are very high-level players. In particular, Min-jae Kim has just returned from military service. He can be a leader enough. He speaks new German every day and does a lot of coaching in English,” he praised Kim Min-jae’s qualities.
Even in an interview with the official Bundesliga media afterwards, “I love him. He is so calm and upright. His expression, mentality, game and pass are not too loose, not too high, and not unusual. This is exactly what I want in the build-up. That’s why it’s so good,” he said, expressing admiration for Kim Min-jae’s play.
With coach Tuchel’s great trust, Kim Min-jae is scheduled to play an active role as the main player in Munich’s defense, and attention is paid to how the competition between Upamecano and Delicht will proceed.