"They gave Lee Kang-in the No. 7 jersey, but..." Is the real 'Griezmann successor' actually his same-age close friend Baena? Local buzz: "Truly Ballon d'Or-caliber," Simeone's praise acknowledged

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Lee Kang-in (25) appears to be engaged in a friendly rivalry with his same-age close friend Alex Baena (25) over the "post-Griezmann" role.

Football specialist 'YS Scores' reported on the 18th (Korean time), citing Spain's 'Marca', that "Baena has perfectly proven he is worthy of entering the Ballon d'Or race."

The outlet assessed, "Despite receiving less media and marketing attention compared to other stars, Baena displays overwhelming performance." In this season's 11 official matches, he has recorded 5 goals and 3 assists, already surpassing his total attacking points from last season (2 goals, 3 assists).

Baena's true value shone in the away match against RCD Espanyol held on the 17th, which was the 9th round of the 2026-2027 La Liga season. On that day, Atletico Madrid secured a 1-0 victory thanks to Baena's dramatic winning goal.

Initially, Lee Kang-in started the match. According to football statistics specialist 'FootMob', Lee Kang-in, who played as an attacking midfielder, recorded 2 shots, a 93% pass success rate, and 3 chances created, delivering a solid performance. However, the one to find the net was Baena, who entered the pitch in the 17th minute of the second half replacing Lee Kang-in. In the 44th minute of the second half, Baena received a pass from Julian Alvarez and tore the net with a fantastic right-footed shot.

The outlet highlighted, "Thanks to Baena's goal, Atletico broke their away curse at RCDE Stadium, where they had struggled with 2 draws and 1 loss," adding, "Following their away victory at Mendizorroza Stadium just a week ago, they once again secured valuable 3 points on a difficult away trip."

After the match, manager Diego Simeone did not hold back his praise for Baena. He stated, "Winning the North and Central American World Cup took Baena to another level," and highly praised him as a player with fantastic ability who knows how to read the game. He added, "His finishing has improved significantly, and he is full of confidence."

With Baena's stellar performance, the competition for the 'Griezmann successor' title with his close friend Lee Kang-in is expected to heat up further. The two players have a special bond, having built their connection on the Spanish stage since childhood. This season, after Lee Kang-in took over the symbolic No. 7 jersey previously worn by Griezmann, the two close friends reunited at Atletico Madrid.

Previously, Marca reported, "Atletico designated Lee Kang-in as Griezmann's successor last summer, but Baena has rapidly emerged as a strong candidate to follow in his footsteps."

In particular, 'Marca' calling Baena the 'new Griezmann' draws attention. Griezmann was a symbolic figure who led Atletico's attack for a long time. The outlet repeatedly praised him, stating, "Baena has also consistently produced attacking points and perfectly established himself as the team's new problem-solver."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original