"Lee Kang-in had to play a defensive role as well" Spain stunned by his dedication... He shone alone amid a "frustrating ATM"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The "ace" of the South Korean national football team, Lee Kang-in (25, Atletico Madrid), demonstrated a dedicated performance not only in attack but also in defense. A local Spanish media outlet praised Lee Kang-in for delivering sparkling offensive play while also handling defensive duties.

Atletico secured a 1-0 victory over Deportivo La Coruna in their home match on the 25th at 4:00 a.m. (KST) at Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, in the 10th round of the 2026-2027 Spanish La Liga season.

Lee Kang-in, who started the match, played for 67 minutes until being substituted off for Alexander Sorloth in the 22nd minute of the second half, contributing to Atletico's attack.

Lee Kang-in's performance was also highly rated locally in Spain. Spanish media outlet AS praised Lee Kang-in while evaluating the players' performances after the match.

The outlet stated, "Lee Kang-in was one of the few players among the Atletico squad who showed a sparkling presence in the first half."

Particular attention was paid to Lee Kang-in's defensive role. AS explained, "Lee Kang-in had to take on the role of a fifth defender at various points during the match." This means that although he started as a forward, he dropped deep into his own half during defensive situations to help block opposing attacks.

Despite this significant defensive burden, Lee Kang-in did not lose his presence in attack.

In particular, the scene in the 37th minute of the first half was impressive. Lee Kang-in carried the ball himself and charged toward the Deportivo defense. After weaving through three defenders in succession, he advanced to the vicinity of the penalty box and finished the attack with a direct shot.

Although it did not result in a goal, it was a moment where his individual skill rattled the opposing defense.

One minute later, Lee Kang-in fired another threatening long-range shot, once again targeting the Deportivo goal.

AS also specifically highlighted Lee Kang-in's shooting scenes. The outlet reported, "Following his individual play in the 37th minute of the first half, he attempted a right-footed shot, and the ball grazed the crossbar. In the subsequent attack, he struck a curled left-footed shot, which also went over the goal."

It added, "There were moments where he displayed excellent technique in attack."

Lee Kang-in's performance stood out even more when compared to the team's overall sluggishness. AS harshly criticized Atletico's first-half performance, stating, "It was a terrible first half. They failed to register a single shot on target and allowed Deportivo to possess the ball for long periods."

However, the evaluation of Lee Kang-in was different. Football statistics media outlet FootMob gave Lee Kang-in a rating of 7.2. He also received a rating of 7.4 from another statistics media outlet, SofaScore.

His stats were also solid. Lee Kang-in recorded 38 touches and attempted four dribbles, succeeding in all of them. He won all five ground duels. He controlled the ball three times inside the opposing penalty box, and also recorded two ball recoveries and one foul drawn.

Atletico took control of the match with a decisive goal by Julian Alvarez in the 3rd minute of the second half. Alvarez pushed in a pass from Alejandro Grimaldo on the left side of the penalty box to shake the net.

Atletico held onto their 1-0 lead until the end, securing three points. With this victory, Atletico improved their record to eight wins, one draw, and one loss (25 points), maintaining their second place in La Liga. They also maintained a two-point gap behind leader Barcelona (27 points).

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original