Lee Kang-in Kim Min-jae UEFA Champions League knockout stage

Korean players Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae advance in UEFA Champions League, while others head home empty-handed. Exciting games ahead.

Two of the six Korean players who had the opportunity to compete in the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League have advanced to the knockout stage. Lee Kang-in's Paris Saint-Germain and Kim Min-jae's Bayern Munich have both secured a spot in the Round of 16.

Unfortunately, Oh Hyeon-gyu, Yang Hyun-jun, and Kwon Hyeok-kyu of Celtic, as well as Hwang In-beom of Red Star Belgrade, will be heading home empty-handed. They finished in last place and are out of European football for the rest of the season.

Lee started for PSG in their match against Dortmund, which ended in a 1-1 draw, securing their place in the Round of 16. The first half was goalless, but both teams had their fair share of attempts. Dortmund initially had the upper hand, but PSG quickly gained momentum. Despite their efforts, neither team was able to break the deadlock, resulting in a well-matched game.

Bayern Munich, led by Kim, secured their spot in the knockout stage with a 1-0 win against Manchester United. Kim played the full 90 minutes at center-back, contributing to a strong defensive performance for Bayern. With their victory, they finished at the top of their group.

The top two teams in each group of the UEFA Champions League advance to the round of 16, while the third-place team is transferred to the Europa League. The fourth-place team is eliminated from UEFA competition for the season. The draw for the Round of 16 will take place on Dec. 18.

In addition to Dortmund, PSG, Bayern, and Copenhagen, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Real Madrid, Napoli, Real Sociedad, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Lazio, Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Barcelona, and Porto will also advance to the Round of 16.