*This content was translated by AI.
'Couldn't play 90 minutes, holding onto the ball too long?'
Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid), the ace of the South Korean national football team, responded to concerns and criticisms directed at him with his performance on the pitch.
On the 17th (Korean time), Lee Kang-in started in Atletico's home match against Osasuna in Round 6 of the 2026-2027 La Liga season at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, scoring an additional goal in the 9th minute of the second half.
Atletico completely defeated Osasuna 4-0.
Lee Kang-in started as a right-sided midfielder in a 4-4-2 formation that day. From the start, he aggressively targeted the opponent's goal.
In the 11th minute of the first half, he took a dangerous shot, but it was saved by Osasuna goalkeeper Iñigo Fernández. Even after that, he attempted several shots, continuously threatening the opposing goal.
Eventually, in the 9th minute of the second half, he shook the net himself. After Atletico intercepted an opponent's pass and quickly launched a counterattack, Lee Kang-in penetrated into the penalty box. Receiving a pass from Jonathan David, he controlled the ball with a delicate first touch and accurately split the opposite goal with a right-footed shot.
It was his second goal of the league. Following his first goal in the league opener and Atletico debut against Malaga, Lee Kang-in once again fired his scoring machine in front of home fans.
Most importantly, on this day, Lee Kang-in stayed on the ground until the final whistle blew. It was his first full-time appearance in official matches since joining Atletico.
Considering the local sentiment surrounding Lee Kang-in recently, this match was even more meaningful.
Although Lee Kang-in has consistently appeared in matches since moving to Atletico, he struggled to play the full 90 minutes. Even in games where he started, he was repeatedly substituted off in the second half.
As a result, various stories emerged locally regarding Lee Kang-in's frequent substitutions.
Ahead of last week's Round 5 La Liga match against Real Sociedad, Diego Simeone, Atletico manager, was asked about the reason for Lee Kang-in's repeated substitutions.
At that time, Coach Simeone explained, "We substitute him because we judge that he has given everything. We believe other teammates are in better condition toward the end of the match."
While drawing a line that there was no special problem, expectations for Lee Kang-in were clearly shown. Coach Simeone emphasized, "Lee Kang-in must continue to grow and develop. We need him," adding, "The best thing is to play the full 90 minutes and show good performance."
It wasn't just that. In Spain, there were also criticisms regarding Lee Kang-in's game management.
Spanish outlet Marca analyzed after the Real Sociedad match that while Lee Kang-in has excellent ball-holding skills, sometimes taking too many touches could affect the quick development of attacks.
However, Lee Kang-in immediately responded on the ground. Not only did he score in the Osasuna match, but he also displayed his presence throughout the game by moving between attack and defense for 90 minutes.
Local Spanish media also offered praise. The influential Spanish newspaper El Pais, evaluating the match where Atletico completely defeated Osasuna, reported, "Baena, Lee Kang-in, and Jonathan David showed good form."
In particular, it separately highlighted Lee Kang-in's full-time performance, stating, "It was good news that both Lee Kang-in and Baena enjoyed a great game. Both players played the full 90 minutes."
It also focused on Iñigo Fernández's consecutive saves by Osasuna goalkeeper, explaining, "There was no way to stop the goals from Lee Kang-in, Robin Le Normand, and Baena."
Lee Kang-in's performance was also outstanding. He attempted six shots in 90 minutes, connecting four of them to on-target shots. He attempted 51 passes and succeeded with 39, while creating three chances.
He attempted two dribbles, both successful. In defense, he recorded five ball recoveries, two tackles, and one interception, moving actively on both offense and defense.
Naturally, high ratings followed. Football statistics outlet FotMob gave Lee Kang-in the highest rating of 9.0 among all players in both teams. Hscore also rated Lee Kang-in with a top score of 9.2.
Another Spanish media outlet, El Desmarque, also gave Lee Kang-in a rating of 9 points, praising him as "one of the most complete performances since arriving at Metropolitano."
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*This content was translated by AI.
