Despite a complete team defeat, Lee Kang-in receives 'exceptional rating,' with Marca calling it the joint highest score for both teams

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Kang-in (25) tasted a bitter defeat for the first time since joining Atletico Madrid. The 0-3 loss made the disappointment even greater. However, regardless of the team's result, Lee Kang-in's presence stood out. Local ratings also reflected this by giving him the joint highest score across both teams.

On the 5th (Korea time), Atletico Madrid suffered a 0-3 complete defeat to Athletic Club (Bilbao) in the fourth round of the 2026–2027 Spanish La Liga, held at Estadio de San Mamés in Bilbao, Spain. This was their first loss in four matches following three consecutive unbeaten games (two wins and one draw) to start the season.

Lee Kang-in started for the third consecutive match, playing as a forward in a two-man strike partnership and featuring for 59 minutes. He made his presence felt just three minutes into the first half. After winning a challenge against a defender on the right side of the penalty area, he unexpectedly struck with his right foot instead of his stronger left foot, but the shot hit the goalpost and went out.

He also created a decisive attacking opportunity for his teammate with a precise pass. In the 23rd minute of the first half, after receiving the ball in front of the arc, he skillfully changed direction to deliver a pass to Alex Baena, but Baena's shot was blocked by the goalkeeper, leaving the chance unconverted.

Later, in the 40th minute of the first half, Lee Kang-in cut inside from the right and fired a left-footed mid-range shot that deflected off a defender. He was substituted in the 14th minute of the second half when his team trailed 0-2. Coach Diego Simeone used four substitutions simultaneously to change the momentum; Lee Kang-in, Giuliano Simione, Ademola Lookman, and Morten Hjulmand were among those replaced. Julian Alvarez came on for Lee Kang-in. Over 59 minutes, Lee Kang-in recorded two shots, a passing success rate of 78%, and a dribbling success rate of 100% (3 successful dribbles).

Despite the substitutions, Atletico Madrid could not change the result. In fact, they conceded a late goal in the final moments of the second half and lost 0-3. Considering both the result and the scoreline, it was inevitable that most Atletico players would receive poor ratings.

However, Lee Kang-in was different. After the match, Spanish outlet Marca released player ratings for both teams. Lee Kang-in received two stars (★). Marca evaluates player performances using star symbols rather than numerical scores. Three stars represent a perfect rating, and in cases of particularly poor performance, no rating is given at all (-). Despite his team's 0-3 complete defeat, Lee Kang-in received the second-highest possible rating out of four levels (0 to 3 stars) used by the media.

Only two Atletico players received two stars: Lee Kang-in and midfielder Pablo Barrios. Most other Atletico players managed only one star. Some players, including Alejandro Grimaldo and Lookman, did not receive any rating at all. In contrast, Bilbao, who won 3-0, had as many as eight players rated with two stars. However, no player received a higher rating than Lee Kang-in. His score became the joint highest for both teams on this day.

Regarding Lee Kang-in's performance on this day, Marca stated: "He used dazzling dribbling to beat opposing defenders and attempted a shot, but unfortunately hit the goalpost and missed the chance." The outlet added: "Baena, who received Lee Kang-in's excellent pass, had his shot blocked by the goalkeeper, among other efforts, as Atletico launched a fierce attack in the first half."

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*This content was translated by AI.