"Kim Min-jae's mistake left Bayern fans in a cold sweat" — Only that one pass was regrettable... German local media: "Stable performance afterward," full-time rating also 7.3

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

South Korea national team "key defender" Kim Min-jae (29, Bayern Munich) played the full match in a big game against Borussia Dortmund and delivered a solid performance. However, one alarming passing mistake left a lingering sense of regret.

Bayern Munich drew 2-2 with Borussia Dortmund in their home match for Round 8 of the 2026–2027 German Bundesliga season, held at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, at 2:30 a.m. (KST) on the 1st.

Bayern took the lead twice on the day but ultimately failed to secure a victory. Conversely, Borussia Dortmund scored a dramatic equalizer late in the match to claim one point.

Kim Min-jae started the match and played all 90 minutes. He formed the central defensive line alongside Dayot Upamecano. Although there had been recent injury concerns, he fortunately faced no major issues with his appearance. In particular, he secured a starting spot against "arch-rival" Borussia Dortmund, edging out main competitor Jonathan Tah.

Kim Min-jae's performance was not bad either. Notably, he recorded the most defensive actions on the team with 13 instances. He displayed an aggressive approach in defense with seven clearances, three tackles, two interceptions, and one shot block. He also won back possession six times.

In aerial duels, he won four out of five attempts, achieving an 80% success rate. His pass completion rate was 90% (57/63), demonstrating stable build-up ability as well.

However, one dangerous pass was a source of regret. In the 34th minute of the first half, Kim Min-jae dribbled to evade pressure from the opposing attack before passing to Upamecano, who was positioned near the goal. However, Upamecano was also not free from the opponent's pressure. Borussia Dortmund did not miss this opportunity, winning the ball, and Jude Bellingham shook the net.

Fortunately, after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, an offside was called, and Bellingham's goal was disallowed. It was a moment that allowed Kim Min-jae to breathe a sigh of relief.

Nevertheless, he could not escape criticism from German local media. German outlet Sport1 highlighted that "Kim Min-jae's reckless pass left fans breathless."

The outlet evaluated Bayern players' performances against Dortmund on the day. Kim Min-jae received a rating of 3 points. This was an average-level assessment, lower than teammate Upamecano (rating 2 points). In the German rating system, 1 point is the highest and 6 points is the lowest.

Sport1 stated, "Kim Min-jae once again received priority for a starting spot over Jonathan Tah," adding, "As usual, he displayed his distinctive 'Korean-made torpedo style' of rushing to win the ball before opposing players."

However, it pointed out that "Kim Min-jae's reckless pass to Upamecano left all Bayern Munich fans breathless," while noting, "Fortunately, the goal was rightfully disallowed, so Kim Min-jae was lucky."

But the outlet evaluated his subsequent performance positively. It revealed, "Afterward, Kim Min-jae showed much more cautious and stable play."

European football statistics site FootMob also gave Kim Min-jae a solid rating of 7.3. Another statistics site SofaScore rated him 6.9.

Meanwhile, Bayern took the lead in the 38th minute of the first half with a goal by Conrad Laimer. However, they conceded an equalizer to Borussia Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy in the 15th minute of the second half.

Bayern regained the lead in the 21st minute of the second half when Upamecano scored, assisted by Harry Kane. However, with victory within reach, they conceded a dramatic equalizer to Fabio Silva in the 44th minute of the second half. The match ultimately ended in a 2-2 draw.

Bayern maintained their top position in the league with five wins and three draws (18 points). Borussia Dortmund also recorded five wins and three draws (18 points), but Bayern held onto first place due to a superior goal difference. Bayern's goal difference is +19, while Dortmund's is +8.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original