BERLIN: Bayern Munich's coach Vincent Kompany said on Wednesday that South Korean defender Kim Min-Jae is on his way to meet expectations after a year of frustration. "I saw our strikers have no fun competing against him in training sessions, " Kompany said of Kim, who struck the winner to guide Bayern Munich to a 1-0 home win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday.
At the same time, Kompany, a former Manchester City defender, mentioned those days when Kim was struggling with a difficult start in the German first flight after his move from Naples for 50 million euros in 2023. Having made his way back from a backbencher in the previous season, the former Napoli performer travelled a long path to happiness, reports Xinhua.
His UEFA Champions League debut goal against PSG might be the cherry on the cake marking a preliminary peak after training confidence led to an on-pitch high-fly.
Counting on his experience, Kompany concluded: "As a defender, you can't gain glory in one game, it might take five, ten, or 15." Confidence makes "Min-Jae turn into the force we had hoped for right from the start, " Bayern's board member sports, Max Eberl, stated.
Having to fulfil his army duties in his home country in the summer of 2023, Kim couldn't enjoy a recovery break. "Meanwhile he is out of that and has adapted to the higher speed in the Bundesliga, " Eberl added. Kim and French International Dayot Upamecano have turned into lionhearted fighters as Eberl put it.
Intuition is back after difficult times, "and a central can't survive without a healthy intuition, " Kompany added while Eberl called the South Korean a "vital pillar".
Bayern's revitalized star expressed his pride in "having scored my first Champions League goal."
"Dayot and I get along very well; it's a pleasure to have him at my side and more, it's increasing our team's strength and stability, " Kim said while setting new goals. Yes, we can think about winning the Champions League. It's possible if we keep focused. It's a long way to glory, " he said.