Manchester United centre-back Lisandro Martinez was an unsung hero during the club’s 3-2 Europa League victory over Omonia at the GSP Stadium.
The Argentine star has been a fantastic recruit for Erik ten Hag’s United and he continued his recent run of good form with another superb individual display on Thursday evening.
While Victor Lindelof was not up to his usual standards, Martinez was almost faultless in the game with 107 touches, 89 passes, five clearances while winning three tackles. He also delivered 11 long balls for his team with one of those creating the chance leading to Anthony Martial’s goal.
At the start of the campaign, there was much talk about Martinez’s height and questions whether he would adapt to the physical demands of English football. However, he has come out with flying colours and has now made himself the first-choice central defender in the United squad.
Yesterday saw a different dimension to his game. With Omonia happy to keep 10 outfield players behind the halfway line, Martinez was handed the luxury to step into midfield and produced some quality long balls. Unfortunately, the likes of Jadon Sancho and Antony failed to capitalise.
The 24-year-old may not have the same freedom in the Premier League going forward, but this is another attribute that United could utilise. United return to top-flight action on Sunday afternoon with an away trip to Everton, who are currently the best side when it comes to defending.
The Merseyside club have been draw specialists with four from eight matches. In the process, they have conceded only seven goals to date. United will have to deal with a low defensive block and it could be another difficult challenge for manager Ten Hag and his players.
Ten Hag should make changes to the 11 after a frustrating first half in Cyprus where Omonia took a shock 1-0 lead.
