As the European leagues enter a break, the renowned sports research institute CIES has released the performance ranking of central defenders in this season’s European leagues. Kim Min-jae, the South Korean international playing for Bayern Munich, tops the list as the only defender to score over 90 points, outperforming players like Dias, Van Dijk, and Militão.
CIES (also known as the Football Observatory) is a football research institution affiliated with FIFA. However, for this selection, CIES did not disclose the specific evaluation criteria. According to reports from South Korean media, the criteria likely include key defensive metrics such as successful one-on-one challenges, interceptions, and clearances. Kim Min-jae is praised for his balanced offensive and defensive skills, high passing accuracy, and possession of all the qualities required of a modern center-back.
In his first season at Bayern Munich, Kim Min-jae’s performance dipped in the second half. However, under the new coach Kompany this season, Kim Min-jae has delivered outstanding performances in all matches except for the Champions League clash against Barcelona.
In CIES’ scoring, Kim Min-jae leads with 91.1 points, the only player to score over 90 points. Manchester City’s Dias follows with 89.7 points, while Liverpool’s Konaté and Van Dijk take the third and fourth positions, respectively. Real Madrid’s Militão ranks fifth.
Notably, during the match between Bayern Munich and Benfica, Kim Min-jae achieved a perfect record of 113 successful passes, setting a record in the Champions League since the 2003-04 season. Additionally, he has attempted 398 forward passes this season, making him a standout among central defenders in the European leagues.
