Kim Min-jae faces bench crisis after costly mistake in Bayern's draw against Dortmund

"Will coach Vincent Kompany make the same choice as coach Thomas Tuchel?"

'Monster defender' Kim Min-jae (29, Bayern Munich) is shaking again. He has been playing with an injury for half a year now, but the world of professionals is harsh. There are evaluations that he is at risk of returning to the time when he was labeled 'the nightmare of coach Tuchel.'

On the 13th (Korean time), Bayern Munich drew 2-2 in the 'Der Klassiker' against Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, in the 29th round of the 2024-2025 Bundesliga season.

For Bayern, it was a golden opportunity to widen the gap since second-place Bayer Leverkusen drew with Union Berlin in the same round. However, Bayern could only add 1 point at home, failing to pull ahead in the championship race.

Now, with 5 matches left in the Bundesliga, Bayern remains at 69 points (21 wins, 6 draws, 2 losses) and will continue a fierce battle with Leverkusen (63 points). The two teams are still 6 points apart.

On this day, Kim Min-jae started as usual and teamed up with Eric Dier. He showcased solid performance, blocking several crises with his fearless defending. However, in the 39th minute of the first half, he lost the ball to Julian Ryerson, putting himself in danger before recovering with a tackle.

An incident occurred. Kim Min-jae allowed the opening goal by missing the movement of opposing forward Maximilian Beyer in the 3rd minute of the second half. He was substituted for Raphael Guerreiro six minutes later. This moment overlapped with memories of being pushed to the bench after being replaced during a game under coach Thomas Tuchel last season.

After the match, the reaction from the local German media was cold. 'Sky Sports' published an article titled, "The collapse of Kim Min-jae and its implications: will Kompany also make the same choice as Tuchel?" expressing concerns that Kim Min-jae could lose his starting position like last season.

The media noted that "Kim Min-jae struggled in the match against Dortmund. This was not the first time this season we’ve seen him like this. Kompany immediately substituted him after observing his positional errors, and Max Eberl, the director, publicly criticized Kim Min-jae after the match. Is Kim Min-jae facing a similar fate of sitting on the bench for the important UEFA Champions League (UCL) match against Inter Milan?"

Kim Min-jae succeeded in his resurgence under coach Kompany this season. He lost the trust of coach Tuchel in the second half of last season and fell behind in the competition for a starting position alongside 'partner' Dayot Upamecano. Instead, Dier and Matthijs de Ligt emerged as the new starting defensive combinations.

In particular, Kim Min-jae lowered his head after committing two major mistakes in the first leg of the UCL semifinals against Real Madrid. Coach Tuchel publicly criticized him, saying, "Kim Min-jae was too greedy," and benched him for the second leg. As a result, Bayern did not reach the final, and Kim Min-jae faced criticism as Tuchel's nightmare.

However, with coach Tuchel leaving last summer and coach Kompany taking over, the situation changed 180 degrees. Coach Kompany, who employs an aggressive style of play, started Kim Min-jae and Upamecano, who could cover the wide spaces in the back. Dier, who is not as quick, found himself on the bench, and de Ligt also transferred to Manchester United.

Kim Min-jae rewarded coach Kompany's trust by pairing well with Upamecano. Although he made occasional mistakes, he showcased solid defending with newfound confidence, receiving praise as a masterpiece of Kompany. There were also endless evaluations that the monster Kim Min-jae from his Napoli days has finally returned.

However, since last October, Kim Min-jae has been dealing with an Achilles tendon issue while also participating in the schedule of the Korean national team and could not avoid overwork. Ultimately, he collapsed before the international match on March 3 but could not rest for long due to his teammates’ injuries.

Kim Min-jae had to be named in the starting lineup for the match against St. Pauli immediately after the A-match break. This season, his total playing time reaches 41 matches and 3,483 minutes.

Is this the reason? Kim Min-jae has recently faced concerns about his decreasing stability and made a painful mistake in the match against Dortmund. Consequently, coach Kompany substituted Kim Min-jae right after the opening goal, assigning left-back Josip Stanisic to play center-back. This decision suggested that Kompany deemed Stanisic, who is not a professional center-back, to be a better choice.

'Sky Sports' predicted that coach Kompany might make a similar decision for the second leg of the UCL quarterfinals against Inter on the 17th.

The media pointed out that "Kim Min-jae was the best defender in Serie A and came to Munich for a transfer fee of 50 million euros (approximately 81.2 billion won). In Italy, he was called a 'monster' due to his strong tackles, quick pace, and excellent positioning. However, Bayern fans have only seen glimpses of this form. Since transferring to Bayern, Kim Min-jae has significantly lagged behind in ability and reputation."

They continued, "Kim Min-jae had a poor debut season but was forgiven. He must get used to the new level of football and familiarize himself better with the club and the team, beyond the German culture. But Kim Min-jae has not been able to meet expectations for stability in his second season either. After de Ligt's departure, Upamecano has taken on the role of defensive leader and has kept the defense stable until his injury."

Indeed, Kim Min-jae, who binds opposing attackers with aggressive defending, bows his head due to occasional mistakes. According to football statistics outlet Opta, he has made 6 mistakes leading to goals this season in the league and UCL. This is the fifth-highest figure.

Bayern legend Lothar Matthaus also severely criticized Kim Min-jae. He strongly condemned Kim Min-jae through Sky Sports, stating, "Kim Min-jae is moving away from the ball rather than towards it. He seems to have lost his sense of direction. Overall, I could not understand Kim Min-jae's defending."

Even Eberl, the director, drew the line that injury bravery cannot be an excuse. He stated, "It was a mistake. Kim Min-jae lost his mark. Until then, he had played a very, very good game against Seru Girasi. But he must be well aware of the conceded goal," adding, "Like all the other players, Kim Min-jae is not at 100% condition towards the end of the season. But that does not mean he cannot be fielded."

In the end, it is up to Kim Min-jae to prove his worth to save Bayern, which is facing elimination. Bayern lost 1-2 in the first leg of the UCL quarterfinals, so they must defeat Inter. It is uncertain whether he will have starting opportunities, but Kim Min-jae must redeem himself with solid defending.

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