In the match where Lee Kang-in was absent, Japan Minamino scored 1 goal and 1 assist

French professional soccer team Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), whose national soccer team member Lee Kang-in was absent, defeated third-place AS Monaco and advanced to the top of Ligue 1.

PSG defeated Monaco 5-2 with Ousmane Dembele’s winning goal in the second half of the 2023-2024 Ligue 1 round 13 home game held at Parc des Princes in Paris, France on the 25th.

PSG, with six consecutive wins, accumulated 30 points and widened the gap with second-place Nice (26 points), which had played one less game, to four points. There was a 6-point gap with Monaco in 3rd place (24 points).

PSG is showing off its powerful firepower, scoring three or more goals in all six games it has won in a row. Lee Kang-in was named on the substitute list that day, but he never made it to the field. It appears that the team was given a break considering that they had to travel a long distance to play two 2026 North and Central America World Cup Asia 2nd qualifying matches during the November international match period. Lee Kang-in played the full time in the World Cup qualifier match against Singapore and 83 minutes in the subsequent match against China.

Lee Kang-in has 2 goals and 1 assist in official games, including 1 goal and 1 assist in Ligue 1 and 1 goal in the UEFA Champions League (UCL).

In Monaco, Japan national team midfielder Takumi Minamino started as a starter and scored 1 goal and 1 assist before being replaced in the 34th minute of the second half. Minamino has 4 goals and 4 assists in the league this season alone.

PSG took the lead in the 18th minute of the first half with a goal by Gonzalo Hamus. When Dembele’s shot from the right side of the goal area was not properly caught by the goalkeeper and bounced out, Hamus, who was in front of the goal, shot again, shaking Monaco’s net.

Monaco balanced the score just four minutes later with Minamino’s goal, taking advantage of PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s erroneous play. Donnarumma, who was trying to slowly handle the ball in front of the goal, hurriedly kicked the ball under pressure from Monaco toward Minamino in the penalty area, and Minamino scored with a strong left-footed shot.

However, PSG took the lead again with Kylian Mbappe’s penalty kick goal in the 39th minute of the first half. Afterwards, the flow of the game was tense, but in the 25th minute of the second half, Dembele’s shot from the right corner during a counterattack swung in favor of PSG. It was the debut goal of Dembele, who joined PSG this season and has been playing well, but has rarely scored.

Two minutes later, in the 27th minute of the second half, PSG took the lead again with Vitinya’s thunderous mid-range shot. Monaco made up a point in the 30th minute of the second half with a goal by Folarin Balogan, who received a pass from Minamino, but wasted several scoring opportunities afterward and was ultimately unable to turn the tide of the game. PSG secured a 3-goal victory in the 51st minute of the second half thanks to Randal Colo Muani’s shot from goal.