Lee Kang-in's killer pass dismantles Man United defense, catches English media's eye

A single pass from Lee Kang-in (25) was all it took to tear apart Manchester United's defense.

Atletico Madrid beat the English Premier League side 2-0 at Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid on Wednesday (Korean Standard Time) in their second UEFA Champions League league-phase match of the 2026-27 season, claiming their first win of the campaign. Atletico had lost 1-2 to Liverpool in their opening league-phase fixture.

Lee started as one of two forwards in a 4-4-2 formation and helped set up the opening goal with a sharp forward pass that triggered the decisive move.

Atletico needed less than a minute to break the deadlock.

It started with Lee. Receiving the ball just behind the halfway line, he played a precise forward pass into the run of Alex Baena down the left flank, sending him into acres of open space.

Baena carried the ball into the penalty area and laid it off to Pablo Barrios, who was charging in from the opposite side. Barrios shot without hesitation, and the ball deflected off United defender Aidan Havern and into the net.

British media were sharp in their criticism of United's defensive collapse on the play. The Guardian wrote that "nobody was in position for Manchester United" when the opening goal went in.

The paper singled out Lee's contribution, noting that "Lee Kang-in's pass from the left sent Baena into a completely empty space."

It added that "nobody tracked Baena as he entered the penalty area, and while Barrios was running in from the right, not a single United player tracked back to cover him."

Lee continued to drive Atletico's attack after the opener, shaking off two defenders with a nimble dribble down the right flank in the 11th minute before playing a pass. He was substituted off for Jonathan David in the 61st minute, having played 61 minutes and earning a SofaScore rating of 6.7.

Atletico sealed the 2-0 win when Ademola Lookman added a second goal in the 79th minute.

Meanwhile, in another UCL league-phase match, Kim Min-jae's Bayern Munich drew 3-3 with Viking FK of Norway. The 30-year-old center back played the full 90 minutes, but Bayern's shaky defensive display allowed three goals.

In other UCL action, Club Brugge of Belgium — where Lee Han-beom (24) plays — beat Inter Milan of Italy 4-3.