In a highly anticipated UEFA Champions League (UCL) Korean Derby, Bayern Munich’s Kim Min Jae came out on top against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Wednesday.
Kim Min Jae, who started for Bayern in their 2024-2025 UCL Group Stage match at Allianz Arena in Munich, scored his first-ever UCL goal in the 38th minute with a header from a set-piece. His goal gave Bayern Munich a 1-0 lead, which they held onto for the rest of the match, securing the victory. With this win, Bayern extended their winning streak to seven consecutive games across all competitions.
The match garnered significant attention, featuring two of South Korea’s top football stars—Kim Min Jae and Lee Kang In—squaring off in the UCL. This marked the first time in 13 years that two South Korean players faced each other in the Champions League. The last encounter was in the 2011-2012 season when Park Ji Sung of Manchester United played against Park Joo Ho of FC Basel.
On this occasion, Kim Min Jae started for Bayern, while Lee Kang-in began on the bench for PSG.
The game started evenly matched, but Bayern broke the deadlock in the 38th minute. PSG’s goalkeeper poorly cleared a corner kick from the left side, and Kim Min Jae headed the ball into the net, scoring the opening and eventual match-winning goal.
Kim Min Jae Scores His 2nd Goal of the Season, Bayern Munich Moves Closer to the Last 16
Kim Min Jae’s goal marked his second of the season, following his first Bundesliga goal for Bayern against Eintracht Frankfurt in October. The South Korean defender’s debut goal in the Champions League was a key moment in Bayern’s victory.
In addition to his offensive contribution, Kim Min Jae also excelled defensively. In the 50th minute, he made a crucial intervention by intercepting a pass aimed at PSG’s left-back Nuno Mendes. Kim Min Jae’s well-timed clearance thwarted the attack, helping Bayern secure a 1-0 victory and maintain a clean sheet.
With the win, Bayern Munich is in a strong position to advance to the knockout rounds. They are currently sitting comfortably in their group.
Kim Min Jae was named Player of the Match (POTM) for his all-around performance. The 27-year-old played the full 90 minutes, scoring his debut UCL goal while contributing ten recoveries. His top speed during the match reached 33.6 km/h (20.9 mph), and he covered 10.7 km (6.6 miles).
In the 65th minute, PSG made a tactical change, bringing on Lee Kang-in instead of Warren Zaïre-Emery to spark an attack.
Lee Kang In, who replaced Zaïre-Emery, threatened Bayern with a few powerful left-footed shots but could not find the equalizer.
With this important win, Bayern Munich climbed to 11th place in their UCL group with 9 points. PSG, however, dropped to 26th place with only 4 points and is effectively out of the tournament with no chance of advancing to the knockout stages.
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