He scored the finishing goal and defended perfectly. Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) led his team to victory in the UEFA Champions League with his one-man show. Bayern Munich teammates’ reaction right after the game showed how brilliant Kim Min-jae was on the day.
Kim Min-jae played full-time as a starter against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG, France) in Game 5 of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League (UCL) league phase at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany on the 27th (Korea time), leading the team to a scoreless defense.
In the 38th minute of the first half, Kim participated in the attack with a corner kick and shook the net by connecting the ball that flowed to the door through a header that flew to the goalkeeper’s side as the opponent team failed to punch properly. It was the first goal he scored at the UCL since his advance to Europe.
It was not just that. Kim maintained the one-goal lead that he made until the whistle blew. Working with Dayo Upamecano, Kim repeatedly blocked off opponent teams’ attacks, displaying his monstrous presence as a defender. He recorded seven clearings, three recoveries and two interceptions, and overcame three out of five competitions between ground and air balls. Stable pass success rate of 93 percent was a bonus.
Bayern Munich goalkeepers Manuel Neuer (center) and Dayo Upamecano (right) are happy as Kim Min-jae, who scored the winning goal and defended without losing a point, is confirmed to win 1-0 in the fifth round of the 2024-25 Champions League phase against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on the 27th. AFP = Yonhap News
Bayern Munich players rushed to 이브벳 Kim Min-jae as the whistle blew to announce the end of the game. Manuel Neuer, the “World Class Goalkeeper” who was closest to him, even hugged Kim Min-jae. Other players, including Upamecano and Harry Kane, also flocked to Kim Min-jae. It was a clear demonstration of how brilliant Kim Min-jae’s presence was on the day.
There was no disagreement over Kim’s selection of the official Player of the Match. The UEFA Technical Observer Panel praised Kim for showing great power not only in the final goal but also in the face of competition.
Kim Min-jae was also responsible for the highest ratings in various news media. His score on the Internet was 8.25 points, the only one in the eight-point range between the two teams. He also scored 8.2 points for SofaScore (1st place) and 8.3 points for Potmob (joint 1st place). According to local media Barbarian Football, Kim was chosen as the Kaiser (emperor).
Kim Min-jae’s stellar performance was meaningful in that his team Bayern Munich took seven consecutive wins in official matches and raised its hope to advance to the round of 16 teams at the UCL. With the victory, Bayern Munich has secured nine points (three wins and two losses) to elevate its ranking to 11th among the 36 teams. If the team ranks in the top eight, it can advance to the round of 16, and the 9th to 24th teams will have the playoff.