"Lee Kang-in played so well, Liverpool became rough": Local Spanish outrage... "Even his shoes were kicked off" in Van Dijk's tackle

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Spanish local media also raised their voices of criticism against Liverpool (England)'s rough play targeting the Korean national team's "ace," Lee Kang-in (25, Atletico Madrid).

Atletico Madrid suffered a 2-1 comeback loss against Liverpool in the first round of the 2026-2027 UEFA Champions League (UCL) league phase, played at Anfield in Liverpool, UK, on the 10th (Korean time).

On this day, Lee Kang-in was positioned in the second line of a 3-4-2-1 formation to support forward Julian Alvarez.

Lee Kang-in's performance in the early stages of the match was impressive. In the 26th minute of the first half, he intercepted a pass from the opponent, withstood pressure from two defenders, and delivered a sharp pass to Alex Baena up front.

As Lee Kang-in's influence grew, Liverpool's defense also intensified. The problem was that the intensity was considerable. Lee Kang-in subsequently had to endure a series of rough fouls.

Spain's Mundo Deportivo stated after the match that "Liverpool was excessively rough against Lee Kang-in," pointing out that "while referee Davide Massa ignored this, a series of very rough fouls continued to drive Lee Kang-in off the field."

The media first praised Lee Kang-in's early-game performance. Mundo Deportivo stated, "Lee Kang-in was one of the standout players for Atletico in the opening stages," explaining that he played a key role during the period when Atletico dominated possession.

He further emphasized that "thanks to Lee Kang-in's constant support for Koke and Pablo Barrios, Atletico was able to seize control of the match for several minutes and even scored the opening goal." Atletico took a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute with an opening goal by Marcos Llorente.

However, local media analysis indicates that Liverpool's response toward Lee Kang-in became increasingly rough afterward. Mundo Deportivo reported, "It appears Liverpool players also noticed this," adding, "They subsequently began playing very roughly against Lee Kang-in."

In fact, in the 28th minute of the first half, Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister stepped on Lee Kang-in's foot hard with his studs during a challenge for the ball.

The scene underwent video assistant referee (VAR) review, but the final sanction was limited to a yellow card.

Monterrey Deportivo said, "All of this happened under the lenient officiating of Italian referee Mass," and added, "Marco Di Bello, who was in charge of VAR, was no different."

He added, "McAllister stepped heavily on Lee Kang-in's foot with his studs in a challenge. The scene was reviewed again, but it ultimately ended with just a yellow card."

Shortly after, Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk made a strong challenge from behind on Lee Kang-in. The collision was so forceful that Lee Kang-in's soccer cleat came off. Lee Kang-in fell to the ground and clutched his ankle, expressing pain.

Montero Deportivo pointed out that although the incident occurred right next to the midfield touchline, the referee did not even consider it a situation warranting a caution.

The rough challenges did not end there. Dominik Sobosly also delivered a strong tackle to Lee Kang-in, followed by an incident in which he struck him in the face.

Deportivo de la Coruña stated that "Soboslai first made a rough tackle on Lee Kang-in and then struck him in the face," adding that "although Lee Kang-in protested, Davide Massa, who was on the field, and Marco Di Bello, who handled VAR, found no issue."

Amid a series of intense pressure and fouls, Lee Kang-in also began to lose his presence. Mundo Deportivo analyzed that "due to all these circumstances, Lee Kang-in's performance gradually declined." Ultimately, Atletico coach Diego Simeone substituted Lee Kang-in and Koke in the 14th minute of the second half, bringing on Alejandro Grimaldo and Ademola Lookman.

Atletico also failed to maintain its lead. It conceded an equalizer to Soboslai in the 40th minute of the first half and then allowed a go-ahead goal from Mac Allister in the fifth minute of the second half, losing 1-2.

Lee Kang-in did not record any offensive points but touched the ball 37 times over 59 minutes. He attempted 28 passes and succeeded in 25 of them, achieving an 89% success rate. Notably, all three long-range passes were accurately connected, and he created one opportunity.

He also recorded one tackle and five ball recoveries in defense. In ground-ball contests, he won three out of seven attempts and drew two fouls from the opponent.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original