"Lee Kang-in has too many touches on the ball" Spanish media delivers direct criticism: "Strength becomes a weakness"

*This content was translated by AI.

As Lee Kang-in (25, Atletico Madrid) remains scoreless for three consecutive matches, local criticism of his performance has begun to emerge. His previously praised ability to evade pressure and the excessive number of touches he takes during this process are now being criticized for failing to maintain the team's attacking tempo.

On the 14th (Korean time), Spanish media outlet Marca reviewed the fifth-round La Liga match held at Estadio Anoeta in San Sebastian, Spain, stating, "Lee Kang-in has too many touches on the ball," and added that one of Atletico Madrid's key strengths discovered in Lee Kang-in is now acting as his major weakness.

The media noted, "There is no ball Lee Kang-in cannot protect while evading opponent pressure. He lowers his body to control and retain possession." However, it continued, "The problem arises when speed is needed in attack development. In recent years, we have frequently seen Antoine Griezmann deliver one-touch passes, allowing Julian Simeone and Marcos Llorente to exploit the space behind."

In short, even at moments requiring quick continuation of attacks, Lee Kang-in's tendency to initiate offense after evading pressure instead of making concise one-touch passes is becoming a negative factor for the team. It is indeed Lee Kang-in's clear strength that he rarely loses possession despite intense opponent pressure, using individual skills with a lowered center of gravity to surprise opponents and retain ball control, earning applause from fans. However, Marca's analysis indicates that the increased number of touches during evasion slows down the team's attacking pace, marking a significant shift from the era when Griezmann was present.

Marca further stated, "Of course, when AT Madrid's new No. 7 (Lee Kang-in) receives and distributes the ball from deep positions, it provides stability. However, he is not creating threats through one-touch plays. This is an area where AT Madrid can improve further. AT Madrid misses Griezmann's one-touch play."

Meanwhile, on this day, Lee Kang-in started as a right-sided attacker in Atletico Madrid's 3-4-2-1 formation and played 60 minutes until being substituted in the second half but failed to record any attacking contributions. In the fifth minute of the first half, his powerful left-footed shot missed the target. In the 25th minute, a cross leading to Morten Hjulmand's header did not result in an assist. Lee Kang-in recorded 34 touches on the ball with a passing success rate of 68%.

Atletico Madrid endured a frustrating match throughout but broke the deadlock when Alejandro Grimaldo converted a penalty kick awarded in the 39th minute of the second half due to an opponent handball foul. Subsequently, consecutive goals were scored during counterattacks in the 45th minute and stoppage time, leading to a decisive 3-0 victory over Real Sociedad. Gavi, Lee Kang-in's close friend born in 2001 (same age), entered the field only in the 27th minute of the second half, about ten minutes after Lee Kang-in was substituted, so their anticipated matchup did not take place.

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*This content was translated by AI.