Bayern Munich is keeping an eye on Antonio Silva.
The Bavarians defeated Lazio 3-0 in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg tie of the 2023-24 season at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, at 5:00 a.m. ET. With the win, Munich advanced to the quarterfinals with a 3-1 aggregate score.
It was a dominant performance. Munich fired 24 shots on goal, while Lazio managed just five. Once again, the Allianz Arena was the ‘graveyard of the away team’. Harry Kane scored two goals, proving once again that he is a world-class striker. Munich’s defensive fears have been exposed time and time again in the league, but they managed to keep a clean sheet against Lazio.
‘Monster defender’ Kim Min-jae could only watch his teammates from the bench, but even as Munich suffered back-to-back defeats, he did his part. He was far better than the other center backs, but against Lazio, Matthijs de Ligt and Eric Dier combined well.
Kim Min-jae’s exclusion from the starting lineup was expected before the game. Germany’s ‘Bild’ reported on May 5, “Kim Min-jae did not join the A team at the Munich training session. He is expected to be included on the bench against Lazio,” the German newspaper reported. As expected by local media, Kim started the game from the bench.
The game against Lazio was a must-win for Munich. The Bundesliga title is already out of reach. The gap between them and Leverkusen has already grown to 10 points. An upset win in the second leg was essential if they wanted to win the UEFA Champions League. Despite the importance of the game, Thomas Tuchel didn’t choose Kim Min-Jae.
To make matters worse, there was talk of signing another center back. Florian Plettenberg, a journalist familiar with the German transfer market, said on June 6, “Silva, who has been playing for Benfica for a long time, was on Munich’s list. Munich are impressed with his progress,” he reported.
Silva is a Portuguese center back born in 2003. He gained his experience playing exclusively for Benfica. He established himself in the league last season, making 30 appearances, and has continued to do so this season. His dominant aerial competitiveness and young age make him an attractive option. Munich and Manchester United are among the clubs interested.
Kim Min-Jae joined Munich ahead of this season and has established himself as a regular starter. He has started 18 of his 19 appearances, excluding his time 안전놀이터 away at the Asian Cup. He has proven himself to be a ‘world-class center back’ at Napoli, not only with his defensive prowess that dominated Serie A, but also with his attacking contributions.
However, it seems that Munich are not yet satisfied. Despite Kim Min-jae’s ‘monster defense’, the ongoing defensive insecurities have been exposed and the club is looking to add to their squad.
Munich’s defensive woes have continued. In their last two games against Leverkusen and Bochum, they conceded a whopping six goals. The defeats came as a shock as they took the Bundesliga title away from Munich. The last clean sheet in the league came against Union Berlin in January. Since then, they’ve conceded consistently.
Silva’s arrival will be contingent on the departures of Dayo Upamecano and De Ligt. Plettenberg continued: “For now, we don’t plan to pay Silva’s high buyout clause. However, a lot could change depending on the departures of De Ligt and Upamecano.”