"Yamal, come out!" Lee Kang-in and Alvarez form the front-line duo... Leading the charge to "hunt down" Barcelona: "We will reclaim the top spot in the league"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Lee Kang-in (25, Atletico Madrid) is set to start in FC Barcelona's match, a contest where the race for the league lead is at stake. The head-to-head between the two teams' stars, Lee Kang-in and Lamine Yamal (19), will be a key point of interest.

Atletico will face Barcelona in a home game for Matchday 12 of the 2026-2027 Spanish La Liga season at Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, at 5:00 a.m. (KST) on the 9th.

Atletico manager Diego Simeone will deploy a 4-4-2 formation. Lee Kang-in will start up front as part of a two-man strike partnership with Julian Alvarez. The midfield will be composed of Alex Baena, Koke, Pablo Barrios, and Giuliano Simeone. The back four will feature Alejandro Grimaldo, David Hancko, Marc Pubill, and Marcos Llorente. Jan Oblak will guard the goal.

Visiting side Barcelona will counter with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Raphinha, Anthony Gordon, Lamine Yamal, Marc Bernal, Fermin Lopez, Pedri, Gerard Martin, Pau Cubarsi, Joao Cancelo, Brian Parrias, and Joan Garcia (GK) are set to play.

The two teams are separated by just two points in the standings. Atletico, currently second with 28 points, is closely trailing Barcelona, who leads with 30 points. A victory in this match would allow Atletico to seize the top spot in the league.

Lee Kang-in, who came on as a substitute in the second half against Bayern Munich in the fourth match of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) league phase on the 4th and spent about 30 minutes on the pitch to catch his breath, has immediately returned to the starting lineup.

Since joining Atletico from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this season, Lee Kang-in has made 11 league appearances, recording two goals and one assist. Manager Simeone expressed unwavering trust in a pre-match press conference when asked about Lee Kang-in's recent playing time, stating that he is playing "as long as he can contribute positively to the team."

Meanwhile, after this match against Barcelona, Lee Kang-in will travel to Qatar to join the South Korea national team, which is being led by interim manager Roberto Moreno. The national team will play its final two A-matches of the year against Saudi Arabia on the 13th and Qatar on the 17th.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original