"Happy at Paris Saint-Germain"
Lee Kang-in expressed his feelings about winning the championship. It is his second career victory. However, emotions incomparable to those of the first came.
PSG beat Toulouse 2-0 to win the 2023 French Super Cup 'Trope de Champion' at Paris de France on the 4th.
The Trope de Champion is a single-round match in which the winner of the French Ligue 1 championship and the winner of the cup compete. PSG, which won the title of the French Ligue 1 championship last season, and Toulouse, which won the cup, played a match on the day.
It was Lee Kang-in who played in the match. He scored the first and final goal and was named the "MOM" that was announced at the Super Cup after the match. Initially, Lee delayed his bid to be called to the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar for the Super Cup. When European players including Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan joined the Korean national team after the last match in December, Lee remained in France. He did so to give PSG the trophy.
In an interview after winning the title, Lee Kang-in said, "I wanted to bring the French Super Cup. I had a desire to win the title even before the game. I always tried to help the team, and I really tried hard. Playing with the best players in the world helped me so much. I am trying to learn a lot from my teammates. I wanted to win even before the game. I am happy to win and want to enjoy this day. I always try to help the team and train hard. I try to learn from good players. I am so happy to be at PSG."
PSG won its 12th Super Cup trophy amid Lee Kang-in's performance. It is the most Super Cup championship in French soccer history.
Lee Kang-in started on the day. Lee Kang-in showed off his presence from the beginning of the game. PSG's first goal came from Lee Kang-in's toes in three minutes. Usman Dembele crossed the right side and crossed to Lee Kang-in. Lee Kang-in finished calmly and scored the net. It was Lee Kang-in's third goal this season and PSG's first goal in 2024.
PSG fully took the lead with Lee Kang-in's first goal. Toulouse shook Paris Saint-Germain with intermittent counter attacks, but goalkeeper Donnarumma's defense shone. PSG targeted Toulouse's side and shook it like a scoring pattern in the third minute. Although it was not a shot on goal, it was a scene that would cool the blood of Toulouse. PSG pressured Toulouse with its high ball possession.
Lee Kang-in showed aggressive performance at his waist and supported firepower. He penetrated into the Toulouse camp by exchanging one-two passes with Barcola. He tried to create opportunities by steadily breaking down the sides.
He also had good teamwork with fullback Hakimi. When Hakimi attacked the Toulouse camp with a straight movement, he got off from one square down and prepared to shoot. Hakimi's pass seemed to be caught in Lee Kang-in's toe, but unfortunately, he missed slightly and couldn't shoot.
Lee Kang-in showed influence throughout PSG's attack. This time, it was a collaboration with midfielder teammate Vitinha. When Vitinha crossed, he caught the ball with chest trapping, making Toulouse nervous and aiming for the net with a fantastic Caesar skik.
Lee then joined PSG's offense with a set piece. In the second half, he also led the team's attack on Paris Saint-Germain by playing with Mbappe and Hakimi. Coach Luis Enrique deployed Marco Asensio, Randall Kolo Muani and Veraldo to make changes to the field, but Lee made them play to the end.
On this day, Lee Kang-in played full-time and led to the PSG victory. After the match, he was named the best player of the tournament by the French Super Cup, adding to the honor. The trophy came five months after the transfer to PSG.
Lee Kang-in won the Copa del Rey (Spanish King's Cup) at Valencia in the 2018-19 season. However, he was not a key player at the time. This time, he is more important than starting PSG. He scored the winning goal himself to lead the team to the PSG championship.
The detailed indicators were also close to perfection, boasting a pass success rate of 96 percent (26/27). Local media in France are also praising Lee Kang-in. "PSG marked the perfect start with Lee Kang-in's goal at the French Super Cup. It was a point that showed how well Lee Kang-in did this season," said "Foot Mercato."
Another French media outlet, Get French Football, said, "The team shook the net just three minutes into the match. Lee Kang-in put pressure on Toulouse with his amazing bicycle kick. Compared with his performance that he lost in the early part of the season, his performance is quite the opposite. He displayed outstanding performance until just before joining the Korean national team for the Asian Cup. He is a PSG all-around midfielder."