Kim Min-jae Starts as Bayern Munich Crushes Leipzig to Extend Unbeaten Streak to 6 Games and Reclaim Top Spot

South Korean national team center-back Kim Min-jae started for Bayern Munich as the team secured a resounding victory over RB Leipzig, extending their undefeated start to six matches and reclaiming the top spot in the league.

Hosting Leipzig in the 6th round of the Bundesliga at the Allianz Arena in Munich today (Oct. 18), Bayern cruised to a 6-1 victory, fueled by a hat-trick from Luis Diaz and a stellar performance from Harry Kane, who recorded one goal and two assists.

Remaining undefeated through their first six matches (4 wins, 2 draws, 14 points), Bayern leveled on points with Borussia Dortmund (14 points) but moved back to the summit superior goal difference.

Starting as Bayern's center-back, Kim Min-jae played 77 minutes until being substituted for Sacha Boey in the 32nd minute of the second half. He contributed five defensive clearances, two interceptions, and a 97 percent passing accuracy, earning a rating of 7.3 from Sofascore.

After taking the lead in the 12th minute of the first half through Diaz's opener, Bayern added a second when Aleksandar Pavlovic scored from a Diaz assist in the 26th minute. Michael Olise then netted following a through ball from Kane in the 34th minute, wrapping up the first half with a 3-0 lead.

Two minutes into the second half, Diaz collected a pass from Kane in midfield and fired a right-footed shot to secure his multi-goal match and push the score to 4-0.

Bayern's fifth goal came from the boot of Kane in the 8th minute of the second half, with Kim Min-jae initiating the buildup.

Calmly intercepting an opponent's through ball, Kim immediately delivered an accurate pass to Olise in the opposing half. The ball traveled through Diaz and Nathaniel Brown before culminating in Kane's goal.

Later, Diaz completed his hat-trick with a right-footed shot from the front of the penalty arc in the 24th minute of the second half.

Kim was subbed off to the bench in the 32nd minute of the second half, and Bayern conceded a late goal in stoppage time, concluding the match with a 6-1 victory.

Meanwhile, national team attackers playing in the German Bundesliga, Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke) and Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), squared off in a "Korean Derby." While neither player recorded an offensive point, Mainz claimed a 1-0 win, giving Lee the upper hand.

Mainz's Lee Jae-sung started as a central midfielder, while Hwang Hee-chan began on the bench.

After falling behind to an opening goal by Phillip Tietz in the 24th minute of the first half, Schalke sought a turnaround by bringing on Hwang Hee-chan in the 15th minute of the second half.

However, with Lee Jae-sung being substituted off in the 31st minute of the second half, the two overlapped on the pitch for only about 11 minutes. Hwang's header from the center of the penalty area in the 40th minute of the second half went straight to the goalkeeper, failing to result in a goal.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.