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Lee Kang-in's performance in 2024 was remarkable.
Sofascore, a soccer statistics media, selected and announced the French League 1 Best Eleven of the Year in 2024 on the 20th (Korea time). The media is "11 players who dominated the French league in 2024. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was the most successful team. Six out of 11 were PSG players,' he said. Among the 11 names, Lee Kang-in was proudly included.
In the 4-3-3 formation, Lee Kang-in was positioned as a central midfielder. Lee Kang-in showed a very outstanding performance with a 7.41 rating, ranking sixth among 11 players.
Looking back on the second half of the 2023-2024 season, it was not easy to start. After the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, Lee Kang-in had a difficult time mentally as he stood at the center of rumors of discord with Son Heung-min. He showed good performance at the Asian Cup, but he did not continue his appearance immediately at PSG.
Lee Kang-in's slump was not long. Rebounding again in March, he finished his first season at PSG with two goals and two assists in 2024 league games in the 2023-2024 season schedule. He also won the league and tasted the trophy at the Coupe de France.
Second season at PSG, the outlook was not bright. This is because PSG moved forward with storm recruitment after leaving Kylian Mbappe. PSG recruited João Neves and Desiree Doue, both of which became direct competitors of Lee Kang-in.
However, Lee Kang-in had the upper hand in the main competition with his own hands. Lee Kang-in, who proved his skills to PSG coach Luis Enrique by scoring consecutive goals in his first two league games, was able to gradually increase his playing time.
Coach Enrique had concerns about the striker position and used Lee Kang-in as the main player in fake striker tactics. Lee Kang-in was active based on his excellent tactical understanding, even though he was unfamiliar with his role. He scored six goals and one assist in 11 league games, tying the number of offensive points recorded in the league last season.
After the A-match in November, Lee Kang-in was often quiet and replaced, but he provided an opportunity for a rebound in the match against AS Monaco on the 18th. In sum, Lee Kang-in made 29 appearances in the French league in 2024, scoring eight goals and four assists. Considering that Lee Kang-in is still a player who can grow further, it was a very successful 18 months.
In addition to Lee Kang-in, among PSG players, Usman Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Vitinha, Ashraf Hakimi, and Gianluigi Donnarumma were also included in the French League's Best Eleven in 2024. Jonathan David (LOSC Lille), Alexander Golovin, Thilo Kehrer (Monaco) and Emmanuel Agbadu (Stade Leens) were selected from the other teams.
rlaeotlr2024@sportschosun.com
