Germany’s ‘Bild’ reported on the 8th (KST), “Kimmich praises Kim Min-jae as a monster. He praised the performance of his teammate Kim Min-jae after Bayern’s 1-0 win over Benfica,” and reported, ”Kim Min-jae was rather humbled by the praise.”
Bayern defeated Benfica 1-0 at home in the fourth leg of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) League phase of the 2024-2025 season at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on Sept. 7.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak and moved Bayern to 17th place in the standings with six points (D2L2). After back-to-back losses to Aston Villa and Barcelona, Bayern kept their hopes of reaching the round of 16 alive with the win over Benfica. The UCL requires a 24th-place finish to qualify for the tournament.
It was a tight game. Bayern were the aggressors from the start and took control of the game, but couldn’t find an easy goal. Harry Kane, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, and others had shots saved by the opposing goalkeeper.
Only one goal separated the sides.
In the 22nd minute, Sane crossed from the right and Kane headed home the rebound, with Mkhitaryan finishing off the loose ball to give Bayern the lead. Bayern kept Benfica at bay for the rest of the game and held on for the 1-0 win.
Their solid defense, led by Kim Min-Jae, also stood out. The clean sheet was all the more important in a game where a single goal would have been enough to secure all three points.
Head coach Vincent Kompany once again used the Kim Min-jae-Dayo Upamecano combination in the center of defense, with Alfonso Davies and Konrad Reimer on the flanks. Kim Min-jae played well from his high position, bringing the ball forward quickly and making quick interceptions. In the 20th minute, he was one-on-one with Vangelis Pavlidis and cleared the ball away with a precise tackle to stop a threatening counter-attack.
He also set a new UCL record for passing accuracy. Kim attempted 113 passes and completed all of them to teammates, boasting a 100% success rate. 메이저사이트 He is the first UCL player since the 2003-2004 season to attempt more than 103 passes with a 100% success rate.
And it wasn’t just short passes either.
According to soccer stats site Footmob, Kim had 125 touches of the ball in 90 minutes, with a 100% pass success rate (113/113), a 100% long pass success rate (4/4), and 14 passes into the attacking area. Defensively, he was also solid, with 0 lost balls, 3 kicks, 2 header clears, 1 interception, 10 defensive actions, and a 100% ground ball win rate (6/6).
Vice captain Kimmich also had high praise for Minjae. “I’ve always thought he was a monster in competition in a positive way, you can see how he’s improving, how he understands the coach’s ideas and wants to implement them,” he applauded, according to Bild.
Bild added: “Minjae is really stepping up his game! He received great praise from Kimihi and delivered a 1-star performance. He won 78% of his contested shots and held Benfica to just one shot on target.” ”The Monster is the nickname he earned during his time at Napoli and Fenerbahce, referring to his monstrous strength and uncompromising character.”
Unlike the second half of last season, Kim also found himself smiling again. “Kimmich is a good friend who always encourages me, and I’m happy when he calls me a defensive monster,” he said. But while Kim was happy to hear the praise, he didn’t give it a pass.
In response to Kimmich’s monster comment, Kim laughed and talked about his improvements.
“I feel more confident and I feel like I’ve settled in Munich. But there is more. I haven’t reached the level I was at in Napoli yet,” he chastised himself.
Indeed, at Napoli, Kim was so dominant that he was named the league’s Defender of the Year after just one season. “Kimmich and Bayern are delighted that Kimmich is now showing his monster qualities in Munich!” Bild marvels.
But that’s all in the past. Kim has been in such solid form with the Uffa Meccano that he’s been called Kompany’s “masterpiece” by the coach. Bayern have conceded just seven goals in nine Bundesliga games.
Bild also praised Kim’s performance against Benfica, saying, “He was very strong at crucial moments. He was very steady” and gave him the highest rating of one. “Kompany has continued to put a lot of trust in him. Now he is rewarding him with better performances. However, the Bayern monster is not satisfied yet!” / source