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Lee Jae-sung's fantastic form continues with brace against Augsburg

Published: 12 Feb. 2023, 09:03 Updated: 12 Feb. 2023, 17:41

Lee Jae-sung, center, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during a Bundesliga match between FSV Mainz 05 and FC Augsburg in Mainz, Germany on Saturday. [AP/YONHAP]

Lee Jae-sung hammered in a brace to lead Mainz 05 to a 3-1 win over FC Augsburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday, continuing a run of fantastic form in recent games.

Lee has now scored twice as many goals in the past three weeks as in the previous five months, scoring in back-to-back games against Dortmund and VfL Bochum at the end of last month and then adding two more on Saturday.

Lee opened the scoring in the 21st minute, picking up a loose ball in the box after earlier playing it into the box and passing to Ludovic Ajorque. Ajorque fumbled the ball, but Lee pounced back on, beating goalkeeper Rafał Gikiewicz to take the score to 1-0.

Mainz pulled further ahead five minutes later with a goal from Karim Onisiwo, although a handball in the Mainz box five minutes later gave Augsburg a penalty to make it 2-1.

Lee readdressed that balance shortly after the break, tackling Augsburg defender Robert Gumny and pushing forward into the box to beat Gikiewicz again. The Augsburg defense were too busy calling foul on Lee’s tackle to properly defend, leaving them flatfooted when the referee waved for play to continue and Lee was already in the box with the ball.

Lee played until the 81st minute, when he was substituted off for Aymen Barkok, marking his fourth-longest appearance in the Bundesliga so far this season.

Lee Jae-sung celebrates after he scores his side third goal during a Bundesliga match between FSV Mainz 05 and FC Augsburg in Mainz, Germany on Saturday. [AP/YONHAP]

Lee now has six goals on the season —on each against Augsburg on Aug. 20, Werder Bremen on Oct. 15, Dortmund on Jan. 25 and VfL Bochum on Jan. 28 as well as the brace against Augsburg this week — marking his highest-scoring season ever in the Bundesliga and only the second-highest-scoring of his entire career.

Never a prolific goal scorer, 30-year-old Lee has always been a classic center midfielder, creating opportunities for more offensive players while hanging back a big deeper on the attack.

As a result, Lee is a regular starter but rarely a goal scorer. He plays the same role for the Korean national team, where he is a core part of the starting XI but without the glitz and glammer that comes with an impressive scoresheet.

Lee’s highest-scoring season was the 2019-20 2. Bundesliga season with Holstein Kiel, where he managed nine goals and seven assists in 31 appearances.
With only 20 games under his belt so far this season, Lee could be chasing better numbers this year.

Mainz will be back in action on Feb. 19 as they take on Leverkusen on the road.

BY JIM BULLEY [[email protected]]