*This content was translated by AI.
He captured local public opinion in just two matches. Following his first start after joining Atletico Madrid, Lee Kang-in (25) fought hard and received continuous praise from major Spanish media outlets. He was highly evaluated for standing out with boundless talent and dedicated play amidst the team's frustrating attacking flow.
On the 24th (Korean time), the Spanish media outlet 'AS' focused intensively on Lee Kang-in's performance in the match against Villarreal. The outlet stated, "Lee Kang-in, who secured his starting spot with confidence following his performance against Malaga, brought a lot to the team." It added, "While his movement on the left flank early in the game appeared somewhat awkward, he moved to the right side in the second half and exerted much more decisive influence."
It continued, "After losing possession, he actively participated in defense and constantly attempted to finish plays." The outlet praised, "Lee Kang-in proved that every time he touched the ball, there was infinite potential at his feet. He excellently executed forward pressing, agile turns, and defensive coverage, and targeted the opponent's goal with line-breaking passes reminiscent of Antoine Griezmann."
However, it expressed some dissatisfaction regarding Lee Kang-in's chemistry with Ademola Lookman, who formed the team's front line. 'AS' noted, "Atletico was facing the issue of lacking a No. 9 striker, and Lookman seemed like an ill-fitting shirt for the forward position." It pointed out, "Although Lee Kang-in delivered sharp forward passes on par with Griezmann, Lookman failed to utilize them at all."
The Spanish media outlet 'El Desmarque' also gave Lee Kang-in a rating of 7 points, stating, "He was very aggressive and constantly aimed at the opponent's goal. He played a key role in accelerating Atletico's attacking tempo." It added, "Although he could not replicate his wonder goal from the Malaga match, he continuously attempted threatening shots right in front of the penalty box."
On this day, Lee Kang-in started in the home match against Villarreal for the second round of the 2026-2027 La Liga held at Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, and performed brilliantly for 67 minutes. In a frustrating situation where teammates' lateral passes and back passes continued, he broke through the attacking lines with bold forward passes and accurate long passes. He led the attack by unleashing six shots, the most ever recorded by an individual in a single match on the European stage. In the 16th minute of the first half and the 8th minute of the second half, he also recorded two key passes by delivering sharp passes to Julian Simeone.
The football statistics specialist media 'FootMob' gave Lee Kang-in, who recorded an 81% pass success rate (25/31), two key passes, and six shots, a team-high rating of 7.3 points.
Atletico took the lead with a first goal by Marc Pubill in the 19th minute of the second half, but they allowed a comeback due to a penalty kick concession and the misfortune of defender Robin Le Normand's red card in the 36th minute of the second half. Later, thanks to Julian Simeone's dramatic equalizing goal after receiving an penetrating pass from Alex Baena in the 41st minute of the second half, they secured a 2-2 draw. In his first
start, Lee Kang-in proved himself as an ace and will hunt for his second goal of the season in the away match against Sevilla on the 30th.
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*This content was translated by AI.
