'Enemies on the pitch, teammates after' Oh Hyun-kyu and Lee Han-beom link arms... Warm reunion after Europa 'Korean Derby'

*This content was translated by AI.

Oh Hyun-kyu of Besiktas and Lee Han-beom of Midtjylland, who faced each other as opponents on the UEFA Europa League (UEL) stage, shared a warm moment after the match by linking arms affectionately.

Turkish Super League club Besiktas secured a 1-0 victory over Midtjylland in the first leg of the 2026–2027 UEL second qualifying round at Tüpraş Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, on the 24th (Korean time).

Besiktas held on to Orkun Kökçü's decisive goal scored in the 26th minute of the first half, earning a valuable home win. With only a draw needed in the away second leg scheduled for the 31st, they have secured a favorable position to advance to the third qualifying round.

Midtjylland suffered an early setback when striker Friday Eteim was sent off in the 15th minute of the first half. Despite enduring with numerical disadvantage, they failed to equalize.

The match also drew attention for the head-to-head clash between Korean players.

Oh Hyun-kyu, Lee Han-beom, and Cho Gue-sung, who wore the national team jersey together at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, faced each other as opponents in European competitions wearing different kits.

Besiktas forward Oh Hyun-kyu started the match and played until the 17th minute of the second half. Midtjylland defender Lee Han-beom completed the full 90 minutes to face Oh Hyun-kyu, creating a "spear versus shield" duel between former national team teammates.

Oh Hyun-kyu created two dangerous passes that unsettled Midtjylland's defense but failed to register an attacking point. Nevertheless, he attempted 13 passes, all of which were successfully connected with teammates, showcasing 100% accuracy.

In the 22nd minute of the first half, he delivered a skillful backheel pass that provided Juninho Olaitan with a perfect scoring opportunity, but Olaitan could not convert Oh Hyun-kyu's pass into a goal.

Lee Han-beom defended the backline throughout the match despite being at a numerical disadvantage. He made seven defensive plays, including one tackle, four clearances by kicking the ball away, and two header clearances.

Midtjylland forward Cho Gue-sung was substituted into the match in the 18th minute of the second half. However, since he entered the field at the same time Oh Hyun-kyu left, a direct confrontation between the two Korean national team strikers did not take place.

Although none of the three players recorded an attacking point, Oh Hyun-kyu emerged as the victor in terms of match outcome, as his club Besiktas secured a 1-0 win.

After the intense match concluded, a heartwarming scene unfolded. Midtjylland shared on its official social media a photo taken after the game featuring Oh Hyun-kyu and Lee Han-beom standing together with arms around each other, both smiling brightly.

While they competed fiercely against each other in opposing team jerseys on the pitch, once the match ended, they returned to being teammates of the South Korean national team.

Midtjylland accompanied the photo with handshake and South Korean flag emojis, highlighting the special bond between the two players. The post received enthusiastic reactions from Korean football fans.

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*This content was translated by AI.