“100% dribble success, yet a humiliating 5 rating?”... Spanish media give wildly contrasting assessments of Lee Kang-in, and the reason is clear

[Financial News] His dazzling footwork, which left opposing defenders helpless, was flawless. But the local media’s verdict was harsh. The stinging criticism was that, despite the dazzling build-up, he lacked decisive “end product.”
Lee Kang-in (25, Atlético Madrid) started in the home La Liga match against Deportivo La Coruña at Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, on the 25th (Korea time). He played 67 minutes and helped his team to a 1-0 win.
Lee Kang-in’s individual performance metrics that day were impeccable. According to football statistics outlet FotMob, he completed all four dribbles and won all five ground duels, recording a 100% success rate. Spanish sports newspapers including Marca and Mundo Deportivo heaped praise on his explosive series of dribbles from the 36th minute of the first half, saying they immediately sparked Atlético’s previously sluggish attack.

But Spanish outlet ElDesmarque gave Lee Kang-in a scathing rating of 5 out of 10. Its assessment stood in stark contrast to those of statistics outlets, which gave him ratings in the mid-7s.
The reason is clear in the detailed statistics in front of goal. Lee Kang-in took three shots that day, but not one was on target. He created no goal-scoring chances, recorded 0.11 expected goals (xG) and 0.10 expected assists (xA), and completed just 78% of his passes. In other words, although he succeeded in beating the defense, he produced neither a decisive shot nor a killer pass that could directly lead to victory.
Under head coach Diego Simeone, Lee Kang-in is regarded as a key attacking asset who must create goals himself, rather than merely link up play. His dominant dribbling dispelled concerns about injury and amply demonstrated his technical ability. The task now is to turn those perfect dribbles into a tangible result: goal contributions.
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