Klinsmann to travel to Europe for ‘Intuition’
The German Bundesliga is set for a “Korean derby” this weekend.
On March 22 at 1:30 a.m., Mainz and defending champion Bayern Munich will meet in the eighth round of the 2023-2024 Bundesliga at the Meba Arena, the home of Mainz, Germany.
The game will likely feature a clash between “core defender” Kim Min-jae (Munich) and “all-around midfielder” Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), both of whom play for the German national soccer team in the Bundesliga.
Kim joined Munich from Napoli (Italy) ahead of the season and has been a regular center back under Thomas Tuchel.
His defensive partner, Dayo Upamecano, recently picked up an injury and is expected to miss up to three weeks.
Kim started both of Jürgen Klinsmann’s two October A matches for the national team, helping to secure a clean sheet with his steady defense.
In the first match against Tunisia on the 13th, he wore the captain’s armband for the first time in place of the rested Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and led the team to a 4-0 victory. The team showed solid defense and a strong performance in the nervous battle with their opponents.
In the second match against Vietnam on the 17th, he scored the first goal with a header in the fifth minute of the first half and played until the 31st minute of the second half in a 6-0 victory.
The trip to Mainz will be Kim’s first ‘Korean Derby’ in Germany.
Lee Jae-sung, who is in his third season with Mainz, was also the engine of the midfield in the October A match.
Against Vietnam, he set up Hwang Hee-chan’s second goal with an accurate pass. With Lee’s organized passing in the midfield, Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain-PSG) were able to focus on attacking.
Lee has appeared in seven regular-season games this season, scoring one goal. He’s still a big part of the team, but his team’s form hasn’t been great.
Munich is in third place in the league with 17 points (5 wins, 2 draws). Mainz is 17th out of 18 (W2 D2 L5) and in the relegation zone.
Both teams are in desperate need of a win. Munich needs to keep pace with leaders Leverkusen (19 points), while Mainz needs a win to climb out of the relegation zone.
Both Kim Min-jae and Lee Jae-sung have started every game up until the last seven rounds, so there’s a good chance they’ll face off. The two played together at Jeonbuk Hyundai in the 2017-2018 K League 1.
The ‘Korean Derby’ in Germany will be attended by Klinsmann himself.
Klinsmann played and coached in Munich during his playing days. 스포츠토토맨