Recently, a German media outlet compiled and released scores of Bayern Munich players who finished the first half of the season. Kim Min-jae, who started all of the official matches of the club in the first half, was praised as "impressive."
The German version of 90min, a global sports media outlet, released Tuesday (Korea time) based on the scores of Munich players who finished the first half of the season. The media first evaluated 13 defense players.
The media noted, "München finished the first half of the 2024-25 Bundesliga with 13 runs scored, boasting the best defense line. Not all defenders met expectations."
First, goalie Manuel Neuer received just three points out of 10. "Compared to Neuer's past seasons, he has not been outstanding this season," the media said. "In the league, he blocked only 58 percent of opponent teams' shots, and his critical chance defense rate was at the bottom with 17 percent." Side defenders Sasha Boy (3 points) and Raphael Guerreiro (5 points) also received poor ratings.
Center back duo Kim Min-jae and Dayo Upamecano received the highest ratings among the defense teams. Media outlets first said, "Upamecano was a target of sale last season, but Munich coach Bang Sang Kompany trusted him. This was the right decision," adding, "Upamecano's outstanding athletic ability was suitable for the team. Together with Kim, we have built a solid defense line," giving eight points.
As for Kim, he said, "I get a similar evaluation as Uppamecano. I started off on a shaky ground in the early part of the season, but I have displayed outstanding performance since then. I had ups and downs in December, but overall I am positive." He added, "Given the difficulty of my role in defense from a high position, Kim Min-jae and Uppamecano's performance is very impressive," and gave eight points.
In fact, Kim played in 24 official matches during the first half of this season. According to soccer statistics outlet Transfer Markt, Kim played 2035 minutes in the first half, the second-highest total in his team. He is playing as a key defender, starting in all games. 안전놀이터
Meanwhile, Eric Dier, "Kim Min-jae's competitor," received only three points. The media said, "Dier hardly got a chance to play in the first half. He started two games for 215 minutes, but he was good at the German Football Association (DFB) Pokal. He showed disappointing performance in the league."
Japanese defender Hiroki Ito did not get a rating at all because he had not played a game due to his injury.
Munich will enter the second half of the schedule with the 16th round of the 2024-25 Bundesliga against Mönchengladbach on the 12th.