Why wasn't Kim Min-jae in the lineup? "Kane and Olise were also on the bench." Major rotation... Hwang Hee-chan joined team training for the first time two days before the match, leading to a delayed debut.

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The anticipated "Korean derby" between Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) and Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke 04) did not take place. Kim Min-jae watched the match from the bench amid a major rotation, while Hwang Hee-chan, who joined Schalke at the very end of the transfer window, saw his debut postponed.

Bayern Munich and Schalke 04 drew 0-0 in the second round of the 2026–2027 German Bundesliga match held on the 6th (Korean time) at Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

On this day, Korean football fans focused their attention on whether the two Korean players would face each other. However, although Kim Min-jae was listed as a substitute, he did not ultimately enter the match. Hwang Hee-chan was excluded from the match roster entirely.

In Kim Min-jae's case, it was less about losing out in competition for a starting spot and more about a rotational strategy.

Prior to the match, German media outlet TZ reported that "Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich's head coach, is expected to implement rotation compared to the previous DFB Pokal match," adding that "Dayot Upamecano rested during the Osnabrück game, so his return to the starting lineup against Schalke is anticipated."

It further explained, "The issue is who will partner with Upamecano. Kim Min-jae and Jonathan Tah each played full matches in midweek games. In the Stuttgart match, Coach Kompany had selected the combination of Upamecano and Kim Min-jae."

In fact, Upamecano returned to the starting lineup. However, his partner was not Kim Min-jae but Jonathan Tah. Kim Min-jae began the match from the bench.

In reality, it wasn't just Kim Min-jae who was left out of the starting lineup. World-class strikers Harry Kane and Michael Olise also started on the bench. Jamal Musiala, returning from injury, was listed among the substitutes. TZ also focused on this aspect. In short, Bayern Munich made major changes to its starting lineup compared to midweek matches.

The defensive selection proved successful. Upamecano and Tah held Schalke's attack scoreless. Football statistics site FotMob awarded both players a high rating of 8.7.

The problem lay in the attack. Bayern Munich struggled to break through Schalke's goal. Eventually, Coach Kompany brought on Kane at the start of the second half and simultaneously introduced Olise and Musiala onto the field in the 12th minute of the second half.

Still, no goals were scored. Schalke goalkeeper Loris Karius made five key saves over 90 minutes, helping secure a scoreless draw. Bayern Munich continuously deployed attacking resources in pursuit of victory, but Kim Min-jae never received an opportunity to play.

Hwang Hee-chan's situation differed from that of Kim Min-jae.

Hwang Hee-chan joined Schalke at the "very last moment" on the final day of the transfer window. It was only two days before this match that he participated in his first team training with Schalke players. There was simply insufficient preparation time to play against Bayern Munich immediately.

Local German media outlet RUHR24 also predicted ahead of the Bayern Munich match, "It has not yet been decided whether Hwang Hee-chan will be included in the match roster."

It further explained, "Hwang Hee-chan joined Wolverhampton's pre-season training later than other players due to his participation with the South Korean national team in the World Cup. During the pre-season process, he suffered a minor injury that temporarily disrupted his training rhythm."

Miroslav Muslic, Schalke's head coach, stated at the time, "There is still about one and a half days until the Bayern Munich match. We will monitor whether Hwang Hee-chan will be in a condition to play after that."

Ultimately, Schalke did not rush Hwang Hee-chan's debut.

However, Coach Muslic expressed high expectations for Hwang Hee-chan's abilities. He said, "Hwang Hee-chan is exactly the profile we needed," and highly praised him, adding, "He possesses strength, power, intensity, and quality."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original