Bayern Munich defeated Atletico Madrid 2-0 on Wednesday (Korean time) at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, in Matchday 4 of the 2026-2027 UEFA Champions League league phase. Kim Min-jae and Lee Kang-in both began the match on the bench and were sent on in the second half, according to 뉴스핌, setting up a meeting between the two South Korea internationals on the same pitch.
The result lifted Bayern to two wins and two draws, eight points, and eighth place in the league phase, with the club still unbeaten in the competition. Atletico sits 21st with four points from one win, one draw and two losses.
Why it matters
The fixture was billed in Korean media as a "Korean derby," and it only materialized after the hour mark. Kim and Lee have now faced each other in the Champions League for three straight seasons, dating back to 2024-2025, per 뉴스핌. For Bayern, the away win keeps an unbeaten run intact and moves the club into the top eight of the league phase. For Atletico, a second defeat leaves the Spanish side in the lower half of the table.
How the game turned
Atletico, the home side, lined up in a 4-4-2 with Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth as the front pair. Bayern answered in a 4-2-3-1, Harry Kane at the tip and Lennart Karl, Michael Olise and Alphonso Davies behind him.
The first half was a cautious exchange. Bayern pushed its line higher and built possession, while Atletico sat deep and looked to counter. Bayern's clearest early look came in the 23rd minute: after Dayot Upamecano won the ball, Kane found Karl, whose left-footed effort did not find the net. The teams went into the break at 0-0.
The deadlock broke early in the second half through a defensive error. In the 54th minute, Atletico defender Robin Le Normand was caught on the ball inside the box by Karl, who went through alone against goalkeeper Jan Oblak and finished calmly with his left foot.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone responded in the 59th minute by making three substitutions at once, withdrawing Sorloth, Pablo Barrios and Le Normand for Lee Kang-in, Ademola Lookman and Koke. Bayern doubled the lead in the 74th minute anyway: Kane set up Konrad Laimer, whose powerful right-footed strike from the right side of the penalty area hit the crossbar and went in.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany then protected the result, taking off Davies in the 79th minute and sending on Kim Min-jae to strengthen the defense. Kim was deployed at right back, which is when he and Lee finally shared the field.
Kim held the back line steady for roughly ten minutes and contributed to a clean sheet. Lee, who completed 93 percent of his passes, worked to pull a goal back but could not change the outcome. The match ended 2-0. The statistics site FotMob rated Lee 5.9 and Kim 6.2, according to 뉴스핌.
What to watch
Bayern will look to extend its unbeaten league-phase run in its next European outing, while Atletico needs points to climb from 21st. The bigger question for Korean fans is whether the next meeting between Kim and Lee arrives earlier in the match than this one did.
