'Atletico No. 7' Lee Kang-in's era has begun! A presence that stood out even after playing just 30 minutes in his debut [Sangam]

*This content was translated by AI.

The era of 'new No. 7' Lee Kang-in (25) for Spanish powerhouse Atletico (AT) Madrid has fully begun.

Lee Kang-in made his unofficial debut for AT Madrid as a substitute in the 2026 Coupang Play Series match against Manchester City (England) held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 9th.

Just two weeks after leaving Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and transferring to AT Madrid, he made his debut before an audience of 50,078 Korean fans.

AT Madrid had already played a pre-season match against Manchester United in Sweden on the 1st, but at that time Lee Kang-in was unable to join due to issues related to military service that kept him in Korea.

Subsequently, when the AT Madrid squad arrived in Korea for this friendly pre-season match against Manchester City, Lee Kang-in naturally rejoined the team and completed two days of training before making his debut for AT Madrid on this day.

Having failed to properly synchronize with teammates and having conducted individual training in Korea under team guidelines, Lee Kang-in made his debut as a substitute rather than starting.

However, even after being substituted in during the 18th minute of the second half and spending just over 30 minutes on the pitch, the presence of Lee Kang-in, AT Madrid's new No. 7, was undeniably exceptional.

Immediately after entering the field, Lee Kang-in directly converted a team free-kick opportunity into a sharp left-footed shot that threatened the opponent's goal. As anticipated by local media based on training positions, he was deployed not on the wing but in an advanced forward position.

Playing as a withdrawn second striker from the front line, he freely moved between the attack and midfield, sometimes venturing to the wings, serving as the central figure in AT Madrid's offense.

Even under intense pressure from two opponents closing in simultaneously, Lee Kang-in maintained possession of the ball with his signature individual skills, earning applause from the fans. His accurate passes toward the wing led to headers following crosses, and he also directly connected with Arnau Solà's cut-back from the flank with a left-footed shot that threatened the opponent's goal.

In his AT Madrid debut before over 50,000 Korean fans, he was unable to capitalize on the anticipated attacking opportunities.

However, considering he had only two days of training and this was his first match playing alongside teammates in a real game, the presence he displayed in just over 30 minutes was more than enough to generate expectations for future matches and even the upcoming season.

On this day, Lee Kang-in recorded two shots with a 91% pass success rate over approximately 30 minutes of play. He also achieved one successful dribble and two successful long passes (100% success rate).

After the match, Diego Simeone (Argentina), AT Madrid's new coach and 'world-class manager,' stated, "Lee Kang-in has not yet completed much training. To play in a match, rhythm is necessary, and to find that rhythm, more time will ultimately be needed," expressing expectations for Lee Kang-in's performance to improve further in the future beyond this game.

Coach Simeone continued, "Lee Kang-in is a versatile player. He can play on the wing and also fulfill the role of a second striker. As a player with such abilities, his position may change depending on the team's needs," hinting at his potential to be utilized across multiple positions.

Spanish media Marca noted, "There were two moments when Seoul World Cup Stadium seemed to shake as if it would collapse. The first was in the 19th minute of the second half when Lee Kang-in's first free-kick attempt as an AT Madrid player narrowly missed the corner of the goalpost, and the other was in the 31st minute when a shot also narrowly grazed the post." Marca added, "With more training and better synchronization, these scenes will become goals. Now begins the era of No. 7."

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*This content was translated by AI.