“We have to be at our best against Arsenal to avoid embarrassment”
“We have to work hard not to make a big mistake”.
Bayern Munich suffered a 2-3 reverse against Heidenheim in the 28th round of the 2023-24 German Bundesliga at the Heidenheimer Förth Arena on Sunday (Sept. 7).
Kim Min-jae made his first start in five matches. It was his first start in a month due to the A-Match break. Kim partnered with Dayo Upamecano at center back. Thomas Tuchel made a rotation ahead of the Champions League final against Arsenal.
It didn’t go well. Munich struck first with Harry Kane’s 38th-minute opener and Gnabry’s 45th-minute double. Nevertheless, three goals in the second half resulted in a 2-3 defeat.
Unfortunately, Kim Min-jae was criticized for being involved in all three goals and was blamed for the loss. Kim opened the scoring in the fifth minute of the first half when he lost an aerial battle with forward Kleindindst over a long kick from the opposing goalkeeper.
Even in stoppage time, Kim Min-jae missed a Kleindindst. In the 36th minute of the second half, Kim failed to stop Fieringer from breaking through from an awkward position. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Kim Min-jae was literally involved in all three goals.
“In the first five minutes of the second half, we were extremely lackadaisical, and our one-on-one combat with the opponent was too weak to win the game,” said Munich coach Thomas Tuchel, without naming any specific players. The players let their guard down.
It’s safe to say that they sniped at Kim Min-jae, who was outmatched every time they scored. On this day, Kim tried to control his opponent with his trademark aggressive defense, but in dangerous situations, he allowed his opponent to take advantage. It was arguably his worst game in Europe.
Tuchel’s criticisms are too simplistic to blame the players. In fact, the German media gave Kim Min-jae the worst rating of all, blaming him for the upset. In particular, ‘Bild’ gave Kim the worst rating of 6 on a scale of 1-5, which is the lowest possible score.
The German publication Bild said, “Kim Min-jae had the worst game, being involved in all three goals. He was unable to capitalize on his first start in a long time.” His game sense may be a problem, but the forward defense that made him one of the best defenders in the world at Napoli has become a poison.
Meanwhile, Munich will host Arsenal on Tuesday in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal first leg. Due to the schedule, it is likely that Kim will return to the bench. Tuchel proved him right with a poor performance in his first start in a long time.
Critics in Germany were also critical. “Kim Min-jae was not trusted by Tuchel recently, but he was given a chance against Heidenheim. However, he showed his worst 토토사이트 side as evidenced by his facial expression while conceding the goal.”
The German ‘Kicker’, which has been a consistent critic of Kim, published a feature article on Kim, saying, “He greatly disappointed Tuchel, who gave him a chance after a long time. Honestly, I don’t know if it’s a lack of confidence or a lack of the necessary ability.”
“Upameccano’s mistake is one thing, but Kim’s positioning is another. In Serie A, which is a defense-oriented league, he was one of the best defenders, but in Munich, he’s been shaky. To be honest, I don’t know when he’s going to defend properly. He has to change himself now.”
Kim Min-jae’s struggles continue as he loses his match fitness. Kicker also predicted that Kim will miss the game against Arsenal. “Against Arsenal, Munich will probably start Der Licht and Dier,” the outlet analyzed.
However, this could be a disaster as Arsenal have used Dier well in the PL. In fact, at Tottenham, he was shown to be able to exploit the space behind the slower Dier. With Arsenal having pacey players like Xherdan Shaqiri, it would be a mistake to play Dyer.
With both the league and the Falkirk Cup out of the question, Munich must go all-in on the UCL. However, if Dier is used against Arsenal due to Kim Min-Jae’s poor form, it could be a disaster, just like it was at Tottenham. In fact, the Dier-De Ligt combination showed its limitations against Dortmund.
The Munich club is aware of this. “Arsenal is a game against a team that is a step above us,” said Munich coach Max Eberle. To be honest, we have to be at our best in this game to avoid embarrassment,” he said, adding that “it will be a much tougher opponent than Heidenheim.”
