Lisandro Martinez, the Argentine defender, put in a top-notch performance for Manchester United as they beat Crystal Palace 2-1 in their Premier League game. Martinez was in top form, showcasing both his technical ability and defensive prowess. From the opening whistle, Martinez was a dominant force at the back, making crucial interceptions and clearing any danger that came his way. He was composed on the ball and played with confidence, making accurate passes to start counter-attacks for his team.
Lisandro Martinez’s game by numbers vs. Crystal Palace:
92% pass accuracy
77 touches
61 passes completed
7 ball recoveries
5 clearances
3 aerial duels won
2/2 tackles won
2 ground duels wonThe Butcher. 😤🔪 pic.twitter.com/3jIkHLUaRO
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) February 4, 2023
Martinez’s display was instrumental in securing a clean sheet for his team and played a key role in securing all three points. Along with his key interceptions in the later stages of the game when United were down to 10 men, Martinez’s passing was crucial to United’s control of the ball. This ball control & passing ability of Martinez’s allows United to start attacks and counter-attacks right from the back which is what Ten hag wants his team to do.
Early on in the season, Martinez was criticized by most Premier League pundits for his height and his apparent weakness in defending against strong and tall players. He has now proved them all wrong and has shown everyone that one can still be a good Premier League center back even though one doesn’t have the traditional center back physical attributes.
