*This content was translated by AI.View Original
Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid), who started in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) league phase second-round match against Manchester United, received disappointing ratings from local Spanish media outlets.
On the 14th (Korean time), Spanish outlet Marca gave Lee Kang-in one star (★) immediately after Atletico (AT) Madrid's 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the 2026~2027 UCL league phase second-round match held at Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain. Another outlet, AS, also rated him with one spade (♠).
Spanish media outlets such as Marca and AS evaluate players' performances using a scale of stars or spades. Three is the maximum score, and even starting players may receive no rating at all if their performance is poor, resulting in a broad classification into four tiers.
Both the Marca and AS ratings given to Lee Kang-in on this day were the lowest within his team. Marca gave the lowest rating to Lee Kang-in and Julian Alvarez, while AS included Giuliano Simeone among those receiving the lowest rating.
Moreover, Lee Kang-in's rating in the Manchester United match was identical to that of Manchester United defender Leny Yoro, who was sent off in the 29th minute of the second half. After Yoro's dismissal, Manchester United found themselves at a numerical disadvantage and conceded a decisive goal, resulting in a complete defeat. Nevertheless, Marca and AS placed Lee Kang-in and Yoro on equal footing in their evaluations.
On this day, Lee Kang-in played as one of the two strikers in a 4-4-2 formation and was instrumental in the opening goal that came just 47 seconds after kickoff. He delivered a fantastic through ball to Alex Baena, who penetrated the space behind the defensive line near the halfway line, and Fabio Varios, who received Baena's pass, shook Manchester United's net.
Thereafter, Lee Kang-in recorded metrics including a 91% (32/35) pass success rate, a 67% (2/3) long-pass success rate, and a 50% (1/2) dribble success rate until he was substituted in the 16th minute of the second half. However, without directly threatening the opponent's goal, he finished the match after being replaced by Jonathan David while his team led 1-0.
AT Madrid comprehensively defeated Manchester United 2-0 with an opening goal from Varios in the first half and an additional goal from Ademola Lookman in the 34th minute of the second half, breaking the losing streak from their previous first-round match against Liverpool. AT Madrid will face a La Liga Round 9 match against [aespa뇰] at 9 p.m. on the 17th, followed by an away trip to Stuttgart (Germany) for the UCL at 4 a.m. on the 21st.
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*This content was translated by AI.View Original
