FC Porto host Arouca, South Korean duel between Hwang and Hyun-ju Lee | OneFootball

The third round of the league could provide a special reunion between two compatriots, with the Dragão as the backdrop. Hyun-ju Lee will once again come up against Inbeom Hwang, now on opposite sides and on one of the biggest stages in Portuguese football. In 2022, when he was taking his first steps at Bayern Munich, Lee openly expressed his admiration for the midfielder who joined FC Porto this season from Feyenoord.

At just 19, the midfielder representing Arouca was already seen as one of the Bavarian club’s great prospects and pointed to Hwang as a role model. Lee highlighted his compatriot’s qualities and admitted he wanted to incorporate them into his own style of play. Four years later, the two South Koreans are close to meeting in Portuguese football, in a reunion that could turn the blue-and-white home into a point of connection between them.

“His touch and quality are remarkable. He is a very complete player, calm both without the ball and in defensive duties. I have learned a lot by watching him,” Hyun-ju Lee told Sports Seoul, at a time when Inbeom Hwang was playing for Olympiakos and the young midfielder was beginning his adventure in Germany with great expectations.

Despite the changes that have taken place since then, admiration remains the link between the two players. Lee, now 23, left the Pohang Steelers academy for Bayern Munich in January 2022, initially on loan. The German club later exercised the purchase option, before the midfielder sought to gain competitive experience through loan spells at Wehen Wiesbaden and Hannover 96 in the 2. Bundesliga.

After that stage, Arouca completed the biggest signing in its history by securing the South Korean midfielder from Bayern for €1.5 million in the summer of 2025. Capable of playing as an attacking midfielder, in a more central role, or in a deeper area, Hyun-ju Lee arrived in Portugal with the aim of proving in the top flight what he had already shown in Germany: mobility, ball progression, as well as the strong work rate and discipline characteristic of Eastern players.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.