Lee Kang-in's Killer Pass Leads Atletico to First Champions League Win Over Man Utd

Spain's La Liga side Atletico Madrid secured their first victory of this season's UEFA Champions League by defeating English Premier League club Manchester United.

Atletico won 2-0 against Manchester United in the second match of the 2026-2027 UCL league phase at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain.

Having lost 2-1 to Liverpool in the first match of the league phase, Atletico earned their maiden win against Manchester United.

Starting as a two-top forward in a 4-4-2 formation, Lee Kang-in did not attempt a shot before being substituted in the 16th minute of the second half, but he contributed to the team's victory with a brilliant forward pass that served as the catalyst for the opening and winning goal.

Atletico found the back of the net in less than a minute into the first half.

Just 41 seconds after kickoff during a build-up play, Lee delivered a "killer pass" from near the halfway line toward the space behind Manchester United's defense. Alex Baena surged forward to receive the ball, penetrated into the left side of the penalty area, and passed it to Fabio Barrios rushing in from the opposite side.

Barrios struck a right-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area, and the ball deflected off an opposing defender and flew into the goal.

It was a goal scored 50 seconds after the first-half kickoff.

It was a moment that highlighted Lee's precise left-footed ability to spot Baena's movement and deliver a space pass.

Atletico tasted disappointment in the 43rd minute of the first half when Johnny Cardoso appeared to score an additional goal from the penalty arc, but a teammate's handball foul right before the goal was discovered through a video assistant referee (VAR) on-field review, resulting in the goal being canceled.

Finishing the first half 1-0, Atletico missed a chance to score another goal in the 9th minute of the second half when Julian Alvarez's left-footed volley struck Manchester United's left goalpost and bounced out.

Atletico substituted out Lee Kang-in in the 16th minute of the second half, bringing on Jonathan David.

Playing for 61 minutes on this day, Lee received a rating of 6.7 from Sofascore.

Atletico gained a numerical advantage in the 29th minute of the second half when Manchester United central defender Leny Yoro received a red card for a foul while stopping a counterattack.

Atletico sealed their 2-0 victory in the 34th minute of the second half during a counterattack when David's left-footed shot, which penetrated to the front of the penalty area, was blocked by the goalkeeper's hands, and Ademola Lookman pushed it home with his right foot from in front of the goal.


Germany's Bundesliga side Bayern Munich drew 3-3 away against Norway's Viking FK in their second UCL league phase match amid the setback of Michael Olise's sending off.

Munich's central defender Kim Min-jae played the full match and made 5 defensive contributions, but left room for regret as the team conceded 3 goals amid overall defensive instability.

Kim Min-jae's Sofascore rating was 6.2.

Having fallen behind after conceding a header opening goal just 2 minutes into the match, Munich conceded an additional goal in the 38th minute of the first half to trail 2-0.

Munich narrowed the deficit in the 9th minute of the second half led by striker Harry Kane's penalty kick goal, and Kane leveled the score 6 minutes later to restore balance to the match.

Gaining momentum, Munich quickly turned the game around to 3-2 in the 26th minute of the second half following Luis Diaz's comeback goal.

However, Munich brought trouble upon themselves in the 28th minute of the second half when Olise, after receiving a yellow card, was sent off after receiving an additional yellow card for the unnecessary action of throwing the ball toward an opposing player's face.

Munich ultimately conceded an equalizer in the 45th minute of the second half and had to settle for a 3-3 draw.

Club Brugge, with national team defender Lee Han-beom appearing as a substitute, won 4-3 away against Italian powerhouse Inter Milan in their second UCL league phase match, washing away the disappointment of their opening-match loss to Aston Villa and claiming their first victory.

Lee Han-beom, who started on the bench, was subbed on in the 16th minute of the second half when the teams were tied 1-1, and the two sides entered a slugfest.

Brugge took a 3-2 lead as Nicolo Tresoldi, who scored the opening goal via a penalty kick in the 30th minute of the first half, completed a hat trick in the 29th minute of the second half, and Romeo Vermant followed up with a goal in the 42nd minute of the second half to pull ahead 4-2.

Brugge conceded a chasing goal to Inter Milan in the 45th minute of the second half to be pressed 4-3, but prevented any further goals and wrapped up the victory.

Lee Han-beom received a rating of 6.1 from Sofascore.
 
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News, Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.