Lee Kang-in could not play, but PSG smiled... 'Kim Min-jae rushed in' ends 1-1 draw with Munich → advances to 'UCL Final' with aggregate 6-4

*This content was translated by AI.

Although 'Golden Boy' Lee Kang-in could not play, his club, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) of France, was smiling. PSG has advanced to the 'dream stage' final.

PSG (France) drew 1-1 in the second leg of the 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarterfinals against Munich (Germany) at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on the 7th (Korean time). With this result, PSG recorded an aggregate score of 6-5 across the two legs and advanced to the final to challenge for back-to-back titles. Last season, PSG achieved a historic European treble for the club. In the other semifinal, England's Arsenal defeated Atlético Madrid (Spain) to secure a spot in the final. PSG and Arsenal are set to clash for the championship trophy.

Meanwhile, Munich failed in its bid for a European treble. This season, Munich won its 35th Bundesliga title and reached the DFB-Pokal final. Although it was expected to achieve a treble by continuing its strong run in the UCL, it could not overcome the wall of 'defending champion' PSG.

On this day, South Korean defender Kim Min-jae came on as a substitute in the 23rd minute of the second half, replacing Jonathan Tah, who was injured. Although he stepped onto the field unexpectedly, he showed great fighting spirit, making one clearance and one header clearance during his 22 minutes of playing time. However, Lee Kang-in, who was on the substitute bench, did not take the field.

PSG manager Luis Enrique deployed a 4-3-3 formation. The front three consisted of Ousmane Dembélé, Desire Doué, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The midfield was handled by João Neves, Vitinha, and Fabián Ruiz. The back four comprised Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho, Marquinhos, and Warren Zaïre-Emery, with Matvey Safonov in goal.

Munich manager Vincent Kompany countered with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Harry Kane led the attack as the lone striker. Supporting him in the second line were Luis Díaz, Jamal Musiala, and Michael Olise. The midfield duo consisted of Aleksandar Pavlović and Joshua Kimmich. The back four included Conrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah, and Josip Stanišić, with Manuel Neuer guarding the goal.

However, the momentum shifted in PSG's favor from the start. In the 3rd minute of the first half, PSG took the lead. Kvaratskhelia used his brilliant individual skills and speed to break down the left flank, then passed the ball into the center of the penalty area, where Dembélé fired a powerful shot into the net.

Munich, needing two more goals, had to score. They pushed their defensive line high to threaten the opponent's goal. In contrast, PSG focused on defense and countered, controlling the flow of the match.

There was also a frustrating moment for Munich in the 31st minute of the first half. The ball, cleared by Vitinha inside the penalty area, struck the hand of his teammate Neves. Kompany and the Munich players argued for a handball foul, but the referee did not accept the claim. In the 33rd minute, Neves' header shot was saved by Neuer with a spectacular save.

In the second half, Munich still struggled to break through PSG's defense. Instead, central defender Jonathan Tah was injured, and Kim Min-jae came on as a substitute. Additionally, Alphonso Davies and Nicolas Jackson were brought on as substitutes.

Meanwhile, PSG sought to protect its lead by removing attacking players and adding more defenders. Striker Doué and midfielder Ruiz were substituted off, while defenders Lucas Hernández and Lucas Beraldo came on. Munich even threw in a tactical move in the 40th minute of the second half, swapping Upamecano with Renard Kall.

The move had an effect. In the 4th minute of stoppage time in the second half, Kane scored an equalizer for Munich. However, one more goal was needed to balance the aggregate score. Ultimately, the match ended 1-1, and after a fierce battle, PSG advanced to the 'dream stage' final.

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*This content was translated by AI.