"You should try this too."
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) drew 1-1 against Nantes in the 29th round of the 2024-2025 French Ligue 1 away match at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes on the 23rd (Korean time). Lee Kang-in started as a right forward in a 4-3-3 formation, recorded an assist on Vitinha's opening goal, and was substituted for Gonçalo Hamus in the 63rd minute.
Lee Kang-in delivered a through ball between the densely packed defense in the 33rd minute. Vitinha connected with it with a left-footed non-stop shot, scoring a goal. This was his first attacking point in nearly two months since the match against Lyon on Feb. 24.
With this assist, Lee Kang-in has recorded 6 goals and 6 assists in the league.
On this day, Lee Kang-in played for 63 minutes, creating 2 chances, taking 1 shot, and recording 1 assist. The football statistics media "FootMob" awarded him a rating of 7.8. This is the third-highest rating within the team, following Vitinha (8.4) and Marquinhos (7.9).
"WhoScored.com" gave Lee Kang-in a score of 7.10, while "SofaScore" rated him at 7.3. Overall, these are high ratings.
Lee Kang-in returned to the defensive midfielder position in the match against Le Havre on the 20th. He returned after 31 days from an ankle injury suffered in the World Cup Asian qualifiers against Oman. After playing 73 minutes in the Le Havre match, he improved his physical condition and continued as a starter in the Nantes match, maintaining his game sense.
Enrique, who utilized Lee Kang-in as a central midfielder in the previous match, deployed him as a right winger in place of Bradley Barcola this time, demonstrating a versatile tactical approach.
In the 83rd minute, PSG conceded an equalizing goal to Douglas Augusto of Nantes, ending the match in a 1-1 draw.
With the draw, PSG has extended its unbeaten streak to 30 matches since the league's opening. With 24 wins and 6 draws, they maintain the top spot with 78 points, 23 points ahead of second-placed Marseille. Having already secured an early fourth consecutive league title, PSG is focused on winning the UEFA Champions League for the remainder of the season.
PSG has reached the semifinals of the Champions League and will play the first leg of the semifinal away match against Arsenal on the 30th.
Meanwhile, Luis Enrique's extreme tactical experimentation continued on the day. He was deployed as a defensive midfielder in the Le Havre match but played as a right-side forward in the Nantes match. He showed satisfactory performances in both matches, indicating future potential.
Previously, Coach Enrique expressed his views on the tactical laboratory. Ahead of the Nantes match, he noted in a press conference, "I am considering using Lee Kang-in as a defensive midfielder again. He has excellent passing ability. While he is not a one-position player, it's possible to strengthen the defense, but we can test him in various situations." He expressed hope even if players may not prefer it.
Ultimately, through this tactical laboratory, there is an intent to unveil Lee Kang-in's hidden talents. It seems this is a test to see if he can be utilized in various positions when the team desires in preparation for next season. It can be regarded as a process for Coach Enrique to test how to use Lee Kang-in in the team's plan for next season.
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