"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.

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

On the 10th (Korea time), Atletico Madrid suffered a 2-1 comeback defeat against Liverpool in Round 1 of the League Phase of the 2026–2027 UEFA Champions League (UCL) held at Anfield in Liverpool, England.

Lee Kang-in was deployed in the second line of a 3-4-2-1 formation and supported top striker 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 an opponent's pass, withstood pressure from two defenders, and delivered a sharp pass to Alex Baena ahead.

As Lee Kang-in's influence grew, Liverpool's defense intensified. The problem was that the intensity was considerable. Lee Kang-in subsequently suffered repeated rough fouls.

Spain's Mundo Deportivo stated after the match that "Liverpool was excessively rough against Lee Kang-in" and pointed out that "referee Davide Massa ignored this, and continued very rough fouls drove Lee Kang-in off the field."

The media first highly evaluated Lee Kang-in's early performance. Mundo Deportivo explained, "Lee Kang-in was one of the standout players for Atletico in the early stages of the match" and "he played a key role during the period when Atletico dominated possession."

It further emphasized, "Thanks to Lee Kang-in continuously supporting Koke and Pablo Barrios, Atletico was able to seize control of the game for several minutes and even scored the opening goal." Atletico took a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute of the first half with an opening goal by Marcos Llorente.

However, local media analysis indicates that Liverpool's response toward Lee Kang-in became rougher afterward. Mundo Deportivo reported, "Liverpool players seem to have noticed this" and "they 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 studs during a challenge for the ball.

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

Mundo Deportivo criticized, "All of this happened under the lenient judgment of Italian referee Davide Massa," adding that "Marco Di Bello, who handled VAR, was no different."

It further explained, "Mac Allister stepped hard on Lee Kang-in's foot with studs during 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 tackle from behind against Lee Kang-in. During the collision, Lee Kang-in's soccer cleats were even kicked off. Lee Kang-in fell to the ground and complained of pain while holding his ankle.

Mundo 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 warning."

The rough challenges did not end there. Dominik Szoboszlai also made a strong tackle against Lee Kang-in and was seen striking his face.

Mundo Deportivo reported, "Szoboszlai first committed a rough foul on Lee Kang-in and then struck his face," adding that "Lee Kang-in protested, but neither Davide Massa on the field nor Marco Di Bello handling VAR found any issue."

Amid repeated strong pressure and fouls, Lee Kang-in gradually lost his presence. Mundo Deportivo analyzed, "Due to all these situations, Lee Kang-in's performance gradually declined." Ultimately, Atletico manager Diego Simeone substituted out 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 equalizing goal from Szoboszlai in the 40th minute of the first half and then allowed a go-ahead goal from Mac Allister in the 5th minute of the second half, losing 1-2.

Although Lee Kang-in did not record any attacking points, he had 37 ball touches over 59 minutes. He attempted 28 passes with 25 successful ones, achieving an 89% success rate. In particular, all three long-range passes were accurately connected, and he created one scoring opportunity.

In defense, he recorded one tackle and five ball recoveries. In ground duels, he won three out of seven attempts and drew two fouls from opponents.

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*This content was translated by AI.