It was like watching a ‘show’. Mallorca’s Lee Kang-in led the team to victory with his godly kicking ability.
Lee Kang-in entered as a substitute in the 2022-2023 Spanish La Liga Round 16 match against Valladolid held at Visit Mallorca Estadi in Mallorca, Spain on the 8th (Korean time) and led the team to a 1-0 victory.
Lee Kang-in stepped on the pitch in place of Dani Rodriguez in the 17th minute of the second half when the score was 0-0. Until Lee Kang-in was put in, Mallorca could not attempt a proper attack. Due to the sloppy and frustrating development of the attack, it was almost impossible to create a scene close to scoring.
The atmosphere of the game started to change after Lee Kang-in was put in. In particular, Lee Kang-in showed exceptional kicking ability in dead ball situations such as free kicks and corner kicks. Even though he only played 32 minutes including extra time, he was so pure that he recorded 4 key passes. He also attempted a cross 11 times. He delivered parcels to the heads of his teammates with a sharp yet powerful kick when a dead ball opportunity came, regardless of left or right or center. In fact, it was no different from leading the team alone.
The winning goal also came from Lee Kang-in’s feet. In the situation of a free kick from the right flank, Lee Kang-in assisted Abdon Prats’s header goal with a fast and accurate kick. It was not recorded as an official assist as the ball passed Pablo Maffeo’s head just before the Pratz header, but Lee Kang-in’s stake was a big goal.
Despite playing for a short time, Lee Kang-in received a rating of 7.2 from whoscored.com, a soccer statistics company. He had the second highest score behind defenseman Antonio Rayo (7.7 points), who contributed to the scoreless victory. Considering the time he played, it was evaluated that he had a remarkable performance.
Thanks to Lee Kang-in’s performance, Mallorca added 3 points and recorded 22 points, leaping to 10th place in the mid-table. The gap with the relegation zone is widening, and it is entering the remaining stability zone. 메이저사이트
Through this match, Lee Kang-in proved why he is attracting attention in the transfer market. Lee Kang-in is connecting with multiple teams in the European big leagues, using this season and his performance at the 2022 Qatar World Cup as a stepping stone. He was recently rumored to be receiving a love call from English Premier League side Aston Villa.
After the game, Lee Kang-in took pictures with Korean fans who visited the stadium and did fan service. When he found a fan waiting for him on his way home, he got out of the car and spent about an hour with him. He expressed his gratitude to the fans who traveled to Spain with his kind attitude despite his fatigue. He left with precious memories to the fans who made the difficult step to Mallorca.
Lee Kang-in is expected to be a next-generation icon following Park Ji-sung and Son Heung-min. He was noticed as a ‘shooter’ in his childhood, and he is growing steadily into a player representing Korea. Through his last World Cup, he is gaining popularity once again, and not only his skills but also his attitude towards fans are applauded.