Mallorca defeated Valencia 1-0 in the 36th round of the 2022-23 Spanish La Liga at 2:30 a.m. ET at Estadi Mallorca Son Moix in Mallorca, Spain. The win leaves Mallorca 11th in the league with 47 points, while Valencia remains 13th with 40 points.
In the first half, Lee started the game in a different position than usual. He played as a wing-back in a slightly lower position. Even from a relatively low position, Lee showed off his trademark dribbling and breakaway ability.
He was cautioned for being aggressive in defense. In the 12th minute of the first half, Lee was cautioned for a deep tackle while disrupting an opponent’s counterattack. The warning means Lee will miss the next game as he has now received 10 yellow cards this season. Lee will be suspended for the 37th round match against Barcelona on September 29.
In the second half, Lee stepped up offensively. He played in central midfield. It was a crucial choice. Lee posed a threat to the defense from the left flank and center, and eventually helped set up the goal. In the 19th minute of the second half, Lee sent in an exquisite cross that rattled the net with a free header from the edge of the box. It was Lee’s fifth assist of the league.
Lee played until the 38th minute of the second half before being subbed off. In total, Lee played about 83 minutes, with 55 touches of the ball, 24 passes (75% success rate), 6 crosses (2 successful), 4 long passes (1 successful), 1 chance created, 4 dribble attempts (4 successful), 9 contests (5 successful), 3 key passes, and 1 assist. According to the soccer statistics 안전놀이터 website Fúscore.com, Lee has a rating of 7.9, which ranks second on the team.
This is Lee’s sixth official Man of the Match (MOTM) honor this season. It’s also his third straight at home. Lee proved his worth in front of the home fans as he was named MOTM in three consecutive home games against Athletic Club (Bilbao) in Round 32, Cadiz in Round 34, and Valencia in Round 36.
He was also named MOTM against Valencia this season, both home and away, to exact revenge on the club that released him. Lee was also named MOTM for scoring the winning goal against Valencia in Round 11.