‘Korean iron pillar’ Kim Min-jae will start against Real Madrid.
A leading German media outlet has reported that Kim Min-jae’s rival for the position, Matthias Durich, has been ruled out of the match.
‘Bild’ reported on Sept. 30 (KST) that Durich will be dropped from the roster for the match against Real Madrid. Kim’s club, German giants Bayern Munich, will host Real Madrid in the first leg of the 2023-2024 UEFA Champions League semifinals at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, at 4 a.m. on May 1.
Munich edged English Premier League leader Arsenal 1-1 in the quarterfinals. Real beat defending champion and European favorite Manchester City in a penalty shootout after two 180-minute matches, both of which were drawn.
Munich and Real will play two home-and-away games on May 1 and 8 to determine the finalist. The winner of PSG-Dortmund will play the winner of the PSG-Dortmund match in the final.
Meanwhile, Munich have been plagued by injuries. In particular, Derrikht, who has formed a great partnership with Eric Dier since March, has been out of form. There have even been claims that he hasn’t trained at all in preparation for the Real Madrid game.
“He didn’t even take part in the last training session on Monday (29) afternoon at Jabener Strasse,” said Bild, “and on matchday, the 30th, he didn’t head to the hotel with the squad. This means that he is off the roster altogether.”
“It’s a bitter blow for coach Thomas Tuchel, as the Dutch center back had established himself alongside new arrival Dyer last winter,” the newspaper continued, “and now Tuchel has to rebuild. I’m sure Minjae Kim will play with Dyer!”
In fact, it was predicted that Diricht would be back to full fitness by the 29th and that he and Dyer would pair up against Real. Germany’s top soccer publication Kicker has Derrich and Dier in its predicted lineup for Munich.
Fast forward 30 days and things have changed.
“Munich’s expected lineup against Real Madrid amid new injury news,” says the British publication Tribuna, “Manuel Neuer, Jozua Kimmich, Kim Min-jae, Dier, Nusair Mazrouei, Leon Goretzka, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Leroy Sane, Jamal Musalla, Rafael Geheiro 토토 and Harry Kane are expected to start against Real.”
With Derrikht’s backup center back, France international Dayo Upamecano, also injured, Tuchel has no other option. Dier’s partner will be Kim Min-Jae.
The club announced on its official website on Sunday, “It is unclear if defender Upamecano will be available for the home game against Eintracht Frankfurt. ‘Upamecano is currently suffering from a sprained ankle and his availability for the game is in doubt,’ Tuchel said at a press conference. We have to wait and see the condition of his ankle,” Tuchel said of Upamecano’s injury.
In the actual match against Frankfurt, Upamecano didn’t even make the bench. Munich were unable to field a full nine-man bench and went with seven.
However, Derrikht, who started the game, went down early in the first half and was replaced by Kim Min-Jae at the start of the second half. Kim played the full 45 minutes of the second half, linking up well with Dyer.
They can continue their momentum against Real. Now, it’s up to Kim to take on Derrikht and the Upamecano.
The time has come to face Real’s world-class striker Vinicius and the Ballon d’Or favorite, Wolves midfielder Jude Bellingham.
