Bayern Munich suffered a come-from-behind defeat with Kim Min-jae missing the final Bundesliga match.
Bayern Munich lost to Hoffenheim 2-4 in the 34th round of the 2023-24 German Bundesliga at the Free Zero Arena in Hoffenheim, Germany, at 10:30 p.m. on the 18th (Korea time), finishing the season third with 72 points.
Kim Min-jae was wearing Munich's uniform ahead of this season. Prior to the season's opening, most people expected that Kim Min-jae and Matthijs de Ligt would work together. German media Kicker predicted that chances are high that Kim Min-jae and De Ligt will become Bayern Munich's starting defense line in the 2023-24 season, adding that Upamecano will be able to enter the top 11 only if he wins the hearts of the coaches with his skills
However, contrary to expectations, Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano worked together. Kim Min-jae and Upamecano showed off good teamwork and solidified their Munich defense. In particular, Kim Min-jae received the trust of Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel showed his affection as soon as Kim Min-jae joined the team.
Tuchel said, "I think Kim Min-jae can be a leader. Kim Min-jae is in a new country and needs to learn a new language. Currently, Kim Min-jae is trying to learn German. He is also communicating in English with his teammates." Compliment for adaptability.
Suddenly, there was a variable in Munich. Upamecano and De Ligt were injured. The only center back left in Munich was Kim Min-jae. Munich pushed to recruit Jerome Boateng to reinforce its center back, but the plan fell through. Eventually, Kim Min-jae endured a schedule close to overwork. Kim Min-jae solidified his position by maintaining a good defense.
Munich has strengthened its center back in the winter transfer window. Eric Dier rarely got a chance with Tottenham Hotspur, and Tuchel highly valued Dier's multi-resource. Dier plays as a center back, but he was also able to play six times because he first played as a defensive midfielder during his time with Tottenham.
Even if Dyer came, there was no change in Munich's defense. However, over time, Tuchel replaced Kim Min-jae and Upamecano with Dyer and De Ligt as starting center backs. Kim Min-jae and Upamecano had to stand on the bench. In Germany, Dyer was highly praised, but criticism continued against Kim Min-jae.
It is also true that Kim Min-jae is not displaying as good defense as before. He made two fatal mistakes in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal match against Real Madrid, making him the culprit of a 2-2 draw.
Munich took the lead with Alphonso Davies' first goal in the second leg against Real Madrid, but failed to reach the final, allowing multiple goals to Hoslu. Kim Min-jae started from the bench at the time and was substituted in the 31st minute of the second half.
Munich allowed two goals, but Kim was not directly involved. Still, the criticism against Kim continued. British media outlet Give Me Sports gave two points, saying, "After Kim Min-jae joined the team, Munich gave two goals. It was a horror show once again." Of course, it cannot be said that I am not responsible for allowing the goal as a defender, but that was too much of a criticism.
Kim Min-jae suffered an ankle injury in the 33rd round of the Bundesliga. It wasn't a big injury, but he was excluded from the match. Munich took a 2-0 lead with consecutive goals from Matisse Tel and Alphonso Davies, but lost 2-4 with four goals conceded. This time, Kim Min-jae was absent, but four points were conceded.
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