Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) lost for the first time in a match featuring Lee Kang-in.

PSG lost 1-2 to AC Milan in the fourth leg of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) Group F match of the 2023-2024 season at San Siro in Milan, Italy, at 5 a.m. ET on Aug. 8.레모나토토

A place in the round of 16 is now in doubt. Prior to this match, PSG had topped Group F. Group F, with Borussia Dortmund, Newcastle United, AC Milan, and PSG, has been dubbed the Group of Death since the draw was announced.

On Aug. 8, PSG lost to AC Milan and Dortmund beat Newcastle 2-0, which changed the standings. Dortmund is now in first place in Group F.

Only three points separate first-place Dortmund from fourth-place Newcastle. All four teams can still qualify for the round of 16. For PSG, who would have been guaranteed a spot in the round of 16 if they had caught AC Milan, the next game is crucial. PSG hosts Newcastle in their next Champions League group game on May 29.

Lee took the field as a substitute rather than a starter. He had only partially participated in team training the day before and was expected to be benched. There was a lot of talk in France about Lee’s physical condition and fitness.

Despite his short time on the field, Lee’s presence was strong. In the 44th minute, his left-footed shot hit the post.

PSG went with a 4-3-3 formation. Kylian Mbappe, Kylian Mbappe, Randall Kolo-Mbah a Moute, and Ousmane Dembele formed the back three. In the middle, Vitinha started in place of Lee Kang-in. He combined with Warren Zaire-Emericka and Manuel Ugarte.

The back four was Luca Hernandez, Milan Skriniar, Marquinhos, and Ashraf Hakimi. Gianluigi Donnarumma was in goal. Lee Kang-In started the game on the bench.

AC Milan lined up in a 4-3-3. Olivier Giroud was up front. Raphael Varane and Christian Pulisic flanked him. Tierney Reinders, Unus Moussa, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were in the middle. Theo Hernandez, Malik Taiwo, Picayune Tomori, and David Calabria formed the back four. Mike Mignolet was in goal.

PSG set the tone early on. They opened the scoring in the ninth minute. From a corner kick, Marquinhos dropped the ball in front of the goal with a header, which Shkreliar converted with a diving header. 1-0, PSG was ahead.

The lead didn’t last long. Three minutes later, Milan equalized. Leroy Sane found the back of the net with an overhead kick after Giroud’s hard shot. The score was tied 1-1. From there, the two teams battled back and forth.

In the second half, the tide turned in favor of AC Milan. Giroud celebrated. Six minutes into the second half, he took a cross from Theo and finished with a header.

At 1-2, PSG coach Luis Enrique got busy. He brought on Lee in the 15th minute of the second half, bringing on Gonzalo Hamus and Fabian Luis in a bid to equalize.

Lee lived up to Enrique’s expectations. He led the PSG attack with his lively movements. His left-footed shot in the 44th minute hit the post.

However, the expected PSG equalizer didn’t come. The match ended as it was, with a 1-2 loss and no points.

Lee Kang-in has been on a roll lately with three consecutive attacking points. He scored a goal in a European Champions League group stage match against AC Milan on October 26, followed by an assist and a goal against Brestua on October 29 and Montpellier on October 4.

In all three games, PSG won. PSG scored nine goals and conceded just two, and dominated their opponents in the air. Lee Kang-in was a big part of that.

Lee completed 100% or close to 100% of his passes in every game. His precise passing made PSG’s offense run smoothly, sometimes even finishing them off himself.

The competition for the starting spot was also green-lighted. Enrique trusted Lee Kang-in. He pushed Vitinha aside and started Lee more often than not.

However, before the match against AC Milan, the local French media expected Lee to come off the bench. Not because of his performance, but because of his physical condition.

On July 7, French media outlet RMC Sport reported, “Lee did not attend PSG’s official training session. However, he participated in some of the evening training sessions.” “He can watch the game from the bench and then play. It doesn’t appear to be a condition that would prevent him from playing at all.”

Lee’s exact physical condition is unknown. It’s possible that he’s suffering from a minor injury or is just trying to get fit. All eyes were on Lee Kang-in. He’s been on fire lately. In the first leg against AC Milan, Lee scored his debut goal in the European Champions League. Since then, he has scored in three consecutive games, making him one of PSG’s main attackers.

PSG needed him, and he scored his European Champions League debut in the first leg against AC Milan. He didn’t just score a goal. He completed all but one of his passes and set up his team’s victory with precision play. Since joining PSG, Lee has started all five of his appearances in the French Ligue 1. In the Champions League, however, he came off the bench in all of them. Just three days ago, he started against Montpellier. A match against AC Milan in four days could be too much for Lee.

Against Montpellier, he played just over 60 minutes before being substituted. It’s clear that PSG coach Luis Enrique is carefully managing Lee’s playing time.

Lee has been a fixture for PSG of late. After joining PSG last summer, he quickly made his mark. He hasn’t made a mistake in the midfield. He led the team’s offense with perfect passing and coordination. He also scored and assisted, making him more than just the team’s ace, Kylian Mbappe.

In his last three games, he’s been on fire with two goals and one assist. All of them have been attacking points, setting the stage for PSG’s victories.

In the most recent game, a 5 a.m. home match at the Parc des Princes in Paris, France, in the 11th round of the 2023-2024 French Ligue 1, Lee was near-perfect. Lee completed all 47 of his passes. He didn’t make a single mistake. His passing success rate was a whopping 100%.

For the first time since joining PSG, Lee scored a goal in the French Ligue 1. Lee started the game as a striker for PSG. He played alongside Ousmane Dembele, who was competing for the position. He played alongside Kylian N’Bappe and Kolo Moani in the team’s attack.

10th minute, first half. Lee’s left foot flashed. Achraf Hakimi sent in a low cross from the left flank. The ball was headed towards Kylian Mbappe, who tactfully flicked the ball away and saw Lee Kang-in at the back post.

Lee took one touch of the ball with his left foot. He then calmly struck a hard left-footed shot. The ball landed in the top left corner of the goal. The Montpellier goalkeeper reacted, but the shot was too strong and accurate.

It was the moment PSG took a 1-0 lead. Up until this point, PSG had struggled against Montpellier. They had been beaten by Montpellier, who were objectively weaker. Montpellier had avoided going toe-to-toe with PSG. They shook the PSG defense with long passes, and it worked.

What could have been a difficult game was made easier by Lee Kang-in’s first goal. From then on, PSG dominated the game. Trailing, Montpellier were unable to play the kind of extreme soccer they were used to. PSG made twice as many passes as Montpellier in the first half. They had 70% of the ball possession. In the second half, Warren Zaire Emery and Vitagna scored more goals. PSG won 3-0.

With 24 points, PSG moved into first place in the league. They overtook OGC Nice (22 points), who have played one game less.