‘Golden boy’ Lee Kang-in (22-Paris Saint-Germain) is in his prime. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) won their 2023-2024 European Champions League (UCL) Group F third leg 3-0 against AC Milan at the Parc des Princes in Paris, France on Saturday (June 26). PSG is now 2-1-1 and sits atop the group.
Lee Kang-in scored the winning goal. Lee, who started the game on the bench, took the field in the 26th minute of the second half after being substituted for Ousmane Dembele with PSG up 2-0. He usually cooks opponents from the flanks. He used his unique ability to break away from the defense. Lee Kang-in, who was active on the field, came up with the solution in the 44th minute. It was a spur-of-the-moment move. Warren Zaire Emery’s cutback was cut back by Gonzalo Hamus. Lee quickly cut into the center of the box and rattled the post with a left-footed shot. It was Lee’s first goal for PSG and his first in the UCL.
Lee Kang-in has been touted as a “talent prodigy” since his childhood. It took him a while to break into the professional first team, but as he gained experience, he showed his talent. Last year, he impressed in the Spanish Primera Liga with Real Mallorca. He scored six goals and provided six assists in 36 league games (2840 minutes). He joined PSG in July amidst intense interest from around the world. Lee was touted as a resource for PSG to utilize in a variety of attacking options. Based on his style of play, he was seen as a potential replacement for Lionel Messi (Inter Miami).
The lid is off. Lee has been somewhat hampered by two injuries since joining PSG. Then there was the Asian Games issue, which kept him out of the team for nearly a month from mid-September. There was a sense that he might lose his place in the starting lineup. However, this time proved to be a blessing in disguise. Lee had a breakthrough performance at the Hangzhou Asian Games, leading South Korea to its third straight title. After winning the gold medal, Lee was called up to the A team by coach Jürgen Klinsmann. He was outstanding in the two October A matches against Tunisia and Vietnam. He started both games and recorded three goals and one assist. He has added power and speed to his already existing talents of passing, coordination, and pressure. With the ability to bail herself out in crunch time, she’s clearly established herself as a key part of the ‘Klinsmanns’.
Since returning to PSG, Lee has been even more formidable. He started the French Ligue 1 home game of the 2023-2024 season against Strasbourg on Sept. 22. He set up Kylian Mbappe’s goal with a neat penetrating pass. After the goal, Mbappe pointed to Lee and gave him a high-five. Spurred on by the momentum, Lee opened the scoring against AC Milan. It was his first goal in 12 games, three months after joining PSG, and he became the fourth South 토토 Korean player to score in the UCL main stages after Park Ji-sung (retired), Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton).
After the game, French media outlet FootMercato wrote: “Nineteen minutes was enough. He said he was ready to win every game and he wasn’t lying when he said he was ready to win every game. He wasn’t lying. Lee’s back-to-back performances have given him a leg up in the race for the PSG starting XI, and he’ll look to add to his attacking credentials in a league match against Brestua on September 29.