Munich defeats Lazio and reaches Champions League quarterfinals

Bayern Munich, Germany, previously facing a crisis with 'no status (no title wins),' found relief by securing a spot in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League for the 2023-2024 season.

On Thursday, Munich secured a 3-0 victory in the home game against Lazio (Italy) during the second leg of the round of 16, with Harry Kane scoring two goals. Despite a 0-1 loss in the first game, Munich successfully advanced to the quarterfinals for the fifth consecutive season, scoring 3-1 across both games. Kane netted the first goal with a header in the 38th minute of the first half and followed up with a crucial goal in the 21st minute of the second half when the score was 2-0.

Munich, aiming for its 12th consecutive German Bundesliga title, currently holds the second position in the league as of Thursday (54 points, 17 wins, three draws, four losses), with the gap widening with leader Leverkusen (64 points, 20 wins, four draws). In the DFB-Pokal last November (Cup competition), they faced a setback, losing 1-2 to Saarbrücken, a third-division team, and were eliminated in the second round. If eliminated from the Champions League, they would be at risk of finishing the season without securing any titles.

Kim Min-jae, the central defender of the Korean national soccer team playing for Munich, remained on the bench that day. This marks the first time Kim Min-jae has missed a match this season for reasons other than injury and national team duty since transferring from Naples. Munich coach Thomas Tuchel, who was on the verge of being sacked, fractured the big toe of his right foot while kicking a box in the locker room during an intense pre-match speech.

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) from France secured a 2-1 victory in the second match against Real Sociedad (Spain) and progressed to the quarterfinals. PSG's Lee Kang-in, entering as a substitute in the second half, assisted Kylian Mbappe's second goal in the 11th minute of the second half, marking his first tournament assist. With two goals on that day, Mbappe became the joint leading scorer of the tournament with Kane, both having scored six goals. PSG advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in three years, securing a total score of 4-1 across the first and second games. The draw for the quarterfinals is scheduled for March 15.


Hong-Gu Kang windup@donga.com