Lee Kang-in (22-Real Mallorca) was again named MVP of the match. His dribbling from the sideline was spectacular, drawing gasps and applause from the home fans. Lee, who played as a wingback in the first half by the coach’s decision, was also stable in defense. In the second half, he was moved forward to the left attacking midfield and finally picked up his fifth assist of the season. It was an artful cross that landed squarely on the head of teammate Bedat Murki. In the final minutes of the game, there was a nerve-wracking moment when Uruguayan soccer veteran Edinson 토토사이트 Cavani emotionally pushed Lee as he walked off the field. However, Lee Kang-in did not react calmly and showed a big personality. It was one of the best performances of his career, even if it was a little too much for the other team.
Real Mallorca will stay in the top flight regardless of the outcome of their remaining two games
Real Mallorca secured a 1-0 home victory over Valencia in the 36th round of the 2022-23 Spanish Primera Liga at Estadio Mallorca Son Moix in Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, on Saturday.
The win leaves Mallorca in 11th place in the league with 47 points from 13 wins, eight draws and 15 losses. With a goal difference of nine points over relegation-threatened 18th-place Real Valladolid (38 points), they are assured of staying in the top flight regardless of the outcome of their remaining two games. It was the second consecutive season that Mallorca, who were promoted last season, have managed to stay up.
Mallorca will now travel to Barcelona for their 37th round match on May 29 at 2:00 am. Barcelona have already clinched the title, so expect a strong showing from Mallorca once again. The season ends with a home game against Rayo Vallecano on June 5 at 2:00 am. It’s likely to be the last game for Lee Kang-in, who has been linked with a move to Mallorca.
Meanwhile, Valencia, Lee’s hometown team, is in 13th place with 40 points from 11 wins, 7 draws, and 18 losses. They could still be relegated depending on the outcome of their next two games.
Lee moved to the wing at the start of the second half: ‘Artistic cross No. 5 + fantastic dribbling skills + Cavani’s provocation’
With the score tied at 0-0 at halftime, Lee moved to the left flank attacking midfield at the start of the second half. Mallorca coach Javier Aguirre told local media after the game that it was a mistake to play Lee at wing-back. The change in position was spot on. Like fish in water, Lee’s movement began to come alive.
In the eighth minute of the second half, he performed a heel chop, a technique often utilized by Cristiano Ronaldo, in which he momentarily deflects the ball with his heel to change the direction of his dribble. As he was about to touch his teammate’s pass, he used his heel to change direction to the right, causing him to fall as he tried to break through. The referee tried to draw a foul after Lee appeared to make a slight contact with Guerra Moreno, who was in front of him, but the referee did not call a foul. The two then exchanged words for a while.
Eventually, Lee took advantage of his opponent’s gap. In the defense, the ball was played to Jaume Costa on the left flank. Lee began to penetrate from the center, and Costa passed the ball right to him. Lee then used his footwork to change the direction of the ball without stopping, and sent an exquisite cross into the opposition half. The ball landed squarely on the head of Mourinho, who was on the doorstep. The Valencia goal shook as Lee picked up his fifth assist of the season. With this assist, he has 11 offensive points (6 goals, 5 assists) this season. Mourinho hugged Lee and pointed to him in celebration.
Immediately after Mourinho’s goal, Valencia made two changes at once to intensify their attack. Lee’s brilliance continued. In the 25th minute, he executed a flowing forward dribble from the defense, slipping between two defenders before crossing the ball forward. Then, in the 27th minute, he made another awe-inspiring dribble from the flank. After catching the ball in the defense, he looked behind him for a moment before rolling the ball onto the balls of his feet and stripping Samuel Linnu perfectly. He then faced two defenders, but calmly slotted the ball through to Mourinho in front of him. In the 28th minute, he was surrounded by three defenders and managed to break free.
Lee was replaced by Josep Gaya in the 38th minute. As Lee was leaving the field, veteran Uruguayan striker Cabani was seen pushing him with both hands. It didn’t take long, but Kabani reacted with great sensitivity. With the game not going his way, along with Lee Kang-in’s brilliant performance, Cavani appeared to be taking out his frustrations on the referee. The referee immediately pulled out a yellow card for Kavani. Luckily, Lee didn’t react and it didn’t lead to a bigger collision.
Spanish Primera Liga secretariat names Lee Kang-in official ‘MOM’ as he ‘puts the kibosh on his home team’
After the game, La Liga’s secretariat named Lee Kang-in the official Man of the Match. Football stats site Futbolmob gave Lee an 8.1 rating and another site, FutbolScore.com, gave him a 7.9 rating, both of which were the highest. He was even rated higher than Mourinho, who scored the winning goal (7.7 on FutbolMob and 7.32 on FutbolScore.com). That’s how impressive Lee’s performance was. In addition, Lee had 55 touches of the ball and attempted four dribble breaks, for a 100% success rate. Seven passes into the final third (danger zone). 3 key passes. Passing success rate of 75%.
After growing up in the Valencia youth system, Lee moved to Mallorca in the summer of 2021. At the time, he had one year left on his contract and was sold for no fee. He scored the winning goal against Valencia in October last year. He showed his respect to his former club by not making any ceremonial gestures after scoring the winner, and on this day, he made his presence felt in his hometown team with one of his best performances.
Spanish publication Marca praised Lee’s performance, but also criticized Valencia. “Valencia should know how Lee proved his worth after leaving the club in 2021. Now he’s a gun for Valencia. Valencia have sold themselves a half-polished diamond without receiving any compensation,” while another outlet, Mundo Deportivo, said that “Lee has given Valencia the gift of relegation.”