Qatar Midfielder Lee Kang-in scored a double to help South Korea beat Bahrain 3-1 in the opening match of Group E of the 2023 Asian Cup on the afternoon of January 15.
In the 56th minute, receiving the ball in front of the penalty area, Lee curled the ball with his left foot from 22 meters away, sending the ball into an arc that hit the inside edge of the left post, helping Korea lead 2-1. In the 68th minute, Hwang In-beom assisted Lee to receive the ball in the penalty area and after a fake shot, the PSG midfielder placed the ball into the far corner to seal the score at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
Lee was born in 2001 and grew up in the Incheon United training camp before joining Valencia's academy in 2011. In the 2018-2019 season, he won the King's Cup with this club. In 2019, Lee helped Korea reach the U20 World Cup final in Poland. Two years later, the midfielder moved to Real Mallorca, where he played 66 matches over two seasons, scoring seven goals. That impressive form helped Lee attract the attention of PSG and join the Ligue 1 champions this summer. He is currently the player who sells the most jerseys at PSG, surpassing even Kylian Mbappe.
Lee Kang-in (red shirt) scored twice in South Korea's 3-1 win over Bahrain in the opening match of Group E of the 2023 Asian Cup. Photo: AFC.
Before Lee shone, South Korea struggled against Bahrain's deep-lying and fearless defense. It wasn't until the 30th minute that the Korean team created their first dangerous opportunity. From a cross from Lee Jae-sung on the left wing, Son Heung-min lifted his foot to create a finishing opportunity for Cho Gue-sung, but his left-footed shot flew wide of the wide open goal.
In the 38th minute, South Korea continued to exploit Bahrain's left wing. This time, Lee Jae-sung's pass back hit a Bahrain player and changed direction, accidentally creating an assist for Hwang In-beom to put his left foot into the far corner to open the score.
However, just six minutes into the second half, the red shirt defense was loose, allowing Mohamed Marhoon and Ali Madan to exchange passes in front of the penalty area. Marhoon's shot hit the Korean defender and then found Al Hashash's position, allowing the striker to finish the equalizer.
Son Heung-min did not leave a big mark in Korea's victory. Photo: AFC.
But that was all Bahrain could muster in this match. South Korea still looked the favorites, with 71% possession and 660 passes - compared to Bahrain's 275. They had 14 shots, with five on target compared to nine and two for their opponents.
South Korea could have won big if captain Son had not been so unlucky, notably in a face-to-face encounter with the goalkeeper in the 88th minute. Son's desire to score made him deliberately dive in the penalty area and received a yellow card in the fourth minute of injury time.
The opening day victory helped South Korea top Group E with three points. The remaining match will take place at 00:30 on January 16 between Malaysia and Jordan. In the second match on January 20, South Korea will play Jordan at 18:30, while Bahrain will face Malaysia at 21:30.
Starting lineup
Korea: Kim Seung-gyu, Seol Young-woo, Jung Seung-hyun, Kim Min-jae, Lee Ki-je, Lee Kang-in, Park Yong-woo, Hwang In-beom, Lee Jae-sung, Son Heung-min, Cho Gue-sung
Bahrain: Ebrahim Lutfallah, Hazaa Ali, Waleed Al Hayam, Amine Benaddi, Mohamed Adel, Ali Madan, Mohammed Al Hardan, Moses Atede, Mohamed Marhoon, Abdullah Al Hashash, Komail Al Aswad.
Hieu Luong
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