'Fatal' Lee Kang-in receives scathing criticism for two consecutive matches; Spain delivers a painful rebuke: "Why is he working hard on offense but..."

*This content was translated by AI.

This marks another round of harsh criticism. Lee Kang-in (25), despite Atlético Madrid's decisive victory, bowed his head after receiving failing grades from local media once again.

On the 14th (Korean time), Spanish outlet 'El Desmarque' released individual player ratings and evaluations for the Real Sociedad match, assigning Lee Kang-in a team-low score of 4 points.

The outlet criticized Lee Kang-in, stating, "He recorded only one dangerous shot within the first five minutes of the match." It added, "He consistently received the ball in positions too far from the penalty box and frequently released it without any threatening intent. Every time he attempted deep offensive penetration, it ended in failure."

'El Desmarque' handed failing grades to three attackers that day, including Lee Kang-in. Inexperienced Alex Baena and Ademola Lookman, who failed to utilize their speed and dribbling skills, also received a score of 4 points alongside Lee Kang-in.

In contrast, Julian Simione, who scored an incredible solo counterattack goal, and Alejandro Grimaldo, who assisted the winning goal after scoring from a penalty kick, both earned top ratings of 8 points. Christian Romero, who showcased an impenetrable defense, and Morten Hjulmand, who orchestrated build-up play, received 7 points each. Goalkeeper Jan Oblak, Marc Pubill, David Hancko, and Marcos Llorente were awarded 6 points. Among substitutes, Jonathan David, who scored his first goal of the match, and Koke received high praise with 7 points.

That day, Atlético Madrid defeated Real Sociedad 3-0 in an away match at Estadio Anoeta in San Sebastián, Spain, during Round 5 of the 2026–2027 Spanish Primera Liga.

However, Lee Kang-in, who started the match, could not smile brightly. Although he created dazzling moments with sharp shots and precise crosses leading to Morten Hjulmand's powerful header, he struggled against the opponent's intense pressure in the second half.

According to statistics specialist 'FootMob', Lee Kang-in was substituted off in the 15th minute of the second half after recording just one shot and a 68% pass completion rate. This marked his third consecutive match with playing time limited to around 60 minutes, following appearances against Athletic Bilbao on the 5th and Liverpool on the 10th.

Coincidentally, after Lee Kang-in was substituted out, Atlético Madrid secured victory by scoring a lead goal from a penalty kick awarded due to an opponent's handball foul, followed by two quick counterattack goals.

Post-match reactions from other Spanish local media were equally cold. 'FootMob' gave him the lowest rating of 6.5 among starters, while 'Marca' and 'AS' also assigned the lowest possible ratings: one star and one spade, respectively.

Notably, 'Marca' stated, "Lee Kang-in touches the ball too often. His strength has become a weakness." It further added, "He spends excessive time on the ball trying to evade pressure with individual skills. When speed is needed in offensive transitions, Atlético misses Antoine Griezmann's one-touch play."

As a result, Lee Kang-in failed to escape a barrage of harsh criticism from local media for two consecutive official matches, following his performance in the recent UEFA Champions League (UCL) game. Earlier, during the UCL League Phase Match 1 away game against Liverpool on the 10th, he started as an attacker in a 4-4-2 formation but committed a fatal turnover in his own half during the first 40 minutes, leading to an equalizing goal and receiving a failing grade of 4 points from 'El Desmarque'.

At that time, Lee Kang-in had to watch his team suffer a 2-1 comeback defeat amidst a chaotic atmosphere where six teammates received failing grades. In this league match as well, he remained scoreless for three consecutive matches in attack.

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*This content was translated by AI.