In France, there are growing calls for Lee Kang-in to be used as the starting player. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fans in France are also demanding head coach Luis Enrique to select Lee Kang-in as the starting pitcher.
PSG barely won 1-0 with Paulo Gasaniga's own goal in the 45th minute of the second half in the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League first round home game against Girona (Spain) at Parc des Princes in Paris, France on the 19th (Korea time).
Lee Kang-in played as a substitute in the 18th minute of the second half, and continued on the ground for about 30 minutes until extra time. According to Footmob, a soccer statistics media outlet, Lee Kang-in attempted 14 passes and succeeded in all of them, and recorded three chances. He dribbled once and recorded a success rate of 100 percent, and recorded a long pass (100 percent). He succeeded in competition for ground balls four times in five attempts. Both offense and defense showed good performance.
PSG started all of its main players including Marco Asensio, Usman Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Vitinha, and Warren Zaire Emery. They sent out elite members to secure their first Champions League victory of the season. However, they struggled hard against Girona, who made a splash in La Liga last season.
PSG seemed to gain the upper hand with consecutive shots by Jair Emery, Asensio and Dembele early in the game, but failed to continue the trend as Asensio was out due to injury at the end of the first half. In the second half, Muani was added as a substitute for Asensio to make changes, but the team still failed to score a goal. The details were not good until the end.
In the end, PSG used the card of Lee Kang-in. Midway through the second half, Enrique introduced Lee Kang-in to bring about changes. He brought in Vitinha, Barcola, and Fabian Lewis, and deployed Desiree Doue, João Neves, and Lee Kang-in to energize the midfield and the strikers. Lee firmly seized control of PSG's midfield, which had been slowing down. He shook the opponent's defense with his long-term left-footed dribble and kick.
He failed to score an offensive point, but he succeeded in making a deep impression. As a playmaker in the midfield, he played a role of linking offense and defense, controlling the tempo, and creating opportunities. He also displayed impressive passes at exact timing. Despite a relatively short 30-minute period, Lee Kang-in's performance was not bad.
With Lee Kang-in's performance, PSG fans are shouting for Lee Kang-in to be selected. Many fans on various SNS such as X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram argued that Lee Kang-in should be used as a starter. Some pointed out why they keep leaving players on the bench who can play their part no matter where they are placed on the offense.
This season, Lee Kang-in scored in two consecutive games since the opening of the league, but suffered a strange situation in which his playing time gradually decreased. Coach Enrique gradually increased the time to put Lee Kang-in on the bench. 안전놀이터
On the 17th of last month, Lee Kang-in started as the right wing in the opening match of the 2024-25 League 1 against Le Havre, the opener, and contributed to his team's 4-1 victory by scoring the first goal in 2:04 of the game and the first goal in the entire league this season.