Revealed: The strange way Lisandro Martinez can stop Haaland
Karan Tejwani
- 1 Oct 2022 14:40 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United take on Manchester City this weekend in what is the biggest test Erik ten Hag’s side have faced so far this season.
It’s also a square off between Manchester United’s biggest defensive signing – Lisandro Martinez – and Manchester City’s free-scoring forward, Erling Haaland.
Martinez has had an impressive start to life at Manchester United, with the defence built around him, but the Haaland challenge will be his biggest test since arriving in the Premier League.
With that, ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has given Martinez some advice on how to combat the Norwegian scoring machine, giving him some bizarre tips on how to cope with the forward.
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Martinez given strange advice
Martinez was criticized in his first two games against Brighton and Brentford and was even taken off at half-time in the latter of those two matches as Manchester United fell to a 4-0 defeat.
Since then, he’s been undroppable, with his tenacity and ball-playing ability widely admired by the club’s faithful and manager Erik ten Hag, who saw his development at Ajax.
Now, Carragher had some words of wisdom: "The best advice Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag can offer Lisandro Martínez about dealing with Erling
Haaland is to keep away from him,” Carragher wrote in The Telegraph.
🗣 Pep Guardiola on Erling Haaland vs Lisandro Martinez: “I like when people underestimate players for size. He can tell them, 'I'm here and a good player'. He's a fantastic player, aggressive, good build-up. #mufc paid this money, Erik [ten Hag] knows him...” [via @_joebray]
— UtdDistrict 🔰 (@UtdDistrict) September 30, 2022
"Some battles can be won by outmuscling or outplaying an opponent. Other players need out-thinking. Martínez must be at his smartest to get the better of his Manchester City rival this weekend,” he added.
Martinez has come up against Haaland once before: that was in Ajax’s 4-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in last season’s Champions League group stage.
Ajax were the dominant force and Martinez was praised for his composure against one of the world’s best forwards – that is something he can take encouragement from going into this tie.
Manchester United have been in resurgent form as of late, winning four on the bounce in the Premier League, including successes at home over Liverpool and Arsenal.
