Last week, we were treated to a couple of sensational semi-final first-leg clashes in the UEFA Champions League. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich played out a scintillating 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday (April 30), setting the stage for a grand climax at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Vinicius Jr., Toni Kroos, Harry Kane, and Jamal Musiala caught everyone’s attention with their brilliant performances.
On Wednesday, Borussia Dortmund picked up a stunning 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Germany. Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho dropped a masterclass, completing a tournament-best 12 dribbles against the Parisians.
While some players produced memorable performances, some were uncharacteristically quiet in the first leg. With a place in the final only a step away, they must make it a point to fare better this week. Continue reading to meet five top players who must produce a much-improved performance in the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg.
#5 Min-jae Kim — Bayern Munich
Min-jae Kim Had A Role To Play In Both Of Real Madrid’s Goals
Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel criticized Min-jae Kim’s performance against Real Madrid last week. According to the manager, Kim was partially at fault for both of Vinicius Jr.’s goals last week. He accused the center-back of pressing too high up the pitch in the 12th minute, which allowed Vinicius Jr. to exploit the space he left behind and put away Toni Kroos’ through ball. His second mistake was fouling Rodrygo inside the box instead of waiting for support to arrive. It handed Vinicius Jr. the opportunity to score a penalty and make it 2-2 at Allianz Arena.
With Erik Dier limping off the field in last weekend’s 3-1 defeat to Stuttgart and the question mark still hanging over Matthijs de Ligt and Dayot Upamecano’s involvement, there is a chance that Kim could feature in the second leg. If he gets the opportunity, he must make it a point to perform a lot better than…
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Author : Sushan Chakraborty
Publish date : 2024-05-07 09:17:39
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