'In just two matches,' Lee Kang-in becomes a perfect ace, aiming for consecutive goals in Game 2... Confirmed to start against Villarreal

*This content was translated by AI.

This is clear ace treatment. Lee Kang-in (25), who scored on his debut for Atletico Madrid, has now been named in the starting lineup for his first start.

Lee Kang-in's club, Atletico, will face Villarreal in Round 2 of the 2026–2027 Spanish La Liga at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, at 0:00 a.m. on the 24th (Korean time).

In the starting lineup announced ahead of the match, coach Diego Simeone selected Lee Kang-in and Ademola Lookman as the front-line striking duo. The midfield was composed of Morten Hjulmand, Rodrigo Mendoza, Koke, and Julian Simeone. The back four defense consisted of Alex Grimaldo, David Hancko, Robin Le Normand, and Marco Fucile, with Jan Oblak guarding the goal.

Lee Kang-in, who came off the bench in the previous opening match and delivered a flawless performance, has now firmly secured a spot in the starting lineup after just one game, raising expectations for consecutive goals in two matches.

Earlier, on the 20th, Lee Kang-in was substituted into the La Liga Round 1 opener against Malaga at home while the score was tied 0-0 in the 13th minute of the second half. In just 33 minutes, he scored the decisive opening goal, leading his team to a 2-0 victory.

In the 25th minute of the second half against Malaga, Lee Kang-in shook up the defense with a smooth solo dribble from the right flank and then unleashed a sharp curling shot with his left foot into the top corner of the left goal for a wonder goal.

At that time, in addition to the opening goal, Lee Kang-in created a decisive chance for Lookman with a precise through pass cutting through the defense in the 29th minute of the second half and drew a yellow card from the opponent in the 43rd minute by using flashy upper-body feints and escaping pressure, dominating the pitch.

Spain was captivated by Lee Kang-in's debut for Atletico Madrid. The La Liga office named Lee Kang-in, who played his official debut match, as the Match MVP. Football statistics media 'FootMob' awarded Lee Kang-in, who recorded a 93% pass success rate (13/14), one key pass, and one big chance created, an outstanding rating of 7.9 points, the highest for both teams.

With full support from club executives, Lee Kang-in quickly established himself as a core player. Enrique Cerezo, president of Atletico, bolstered his confidence at Lee Kang-in's signing ceremony by saying, "Lee Kang-in spent 10 years at Valencia and has experienced numerous titles, including two Champions League victories with Paris Saint-Germain, possessing outstanding skills and vision." He added, "I am confident he will become a key pillar of Atletico." Spanish media 'AS' also stated, "Lee Kang-in is a resource that will add creativity and penetration to the midfield," expressing expectations for him to play a central role in the team's attack.

Praise from local media also poured in. Spanish media 'AS,' through a column titled "Julian, learn from Lee Kang-in," highly praised him: "Many people thought Lee Kang-in's signing was solely for commercial purposes such as jersey sales or Korean tour matches, but he is a footballer of immense class and proved it perfectly in the match against Malaga."

In fact, recently in Spain, there were doubts and prejudices because the number 7 jersey Lee Kang-in inherited was the iconic number of Antoine Griezmann, the club's all-time top scorer (212 goals) and considered its greatest legend. However, from his first match, Lee Kang-in completely silenced concerns with his performance. The club's official SNS also posted the moment of his goal shortly after he scored, accompanied by the confident phrase "Any opinions? (¿Opiniones?)," delivering a refreshing blow to the critical public opinion.

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*This content was translated by AI.