Lee Kang-in starts for PSG in Champions League loss to Barca

South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in got the start for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in their 3-2 loss to FC Barcelona in the opening leg of the quarterfinals at the UEFA Champions League at home.

Lee was subbed out in the 61st minute with PSG nursing a 2-1 lead at Parc des Princes in the French capital Wednesday (local time), only to see the visiting side even up the score in the very next minute and then get the winner 15 minutes later.

The return leg will be in Spain next Tuesday.

This is PSG’s first European quarterfinals since the 2020-2021 season. Back then, PSG knocked off Barca 5-2 on aggregate in the round of 16.

Lee got the start in midfield for Luis Enrique, alongside Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz but did not factor into the offense. Lee has a goal and an assist so far in this year’s UEFA tournament.

Raphinha opened the scoring for Barcelona in the 37th minute, but Ousmane Dembele tied it up for PSG 11 minutes later.

Vitinha’s 51st-minute goal put the home side up 2-1, with Lee ceding his place to Warren Zaire-Emery just past the hour mark.

And then Raphinha netted his second goal of the match to make it 2-2. In the 77th minute, second-half sub Andreas Christensen celebrated his 28th birthday with the winner.

On Tuesday, Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich, the only other South Korean in the Champions League, stayed on the bench as his German side blew a late lead in a 2-2 draw against Arsenal in London. The second leg of their quarterfinals matchup is next Wednesday in Munich.

Kim, one of Bayern’s top summer signings, has gradually lost playing time to former Tottenham Hotspur center back Eric Dier.