The stat that proves Man Utd are better without Varane and Martinez

Cameron Smith

• 14 Apr 2023 11:57 CDT
• 3 min read

Manchester United's 2-2 draw against Sevilla in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie was a night to forget for Erik ten Hag.

After Marcel Sabitzer's first-half brace, the Red Devils looked in cruise control and already had one foot in the semis with a 2-0 lead over a side sat in a lowly 13th place in La Liga, just five points clear of the relegation zone.

However, things went from bad to worse in the second-half, with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez both forced off through injury before Tyrell Malacia and Harry Maguire both scored own-goals to level the tie at the halfway stage.

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Varane and Martinez have been Ten Hag's favoured centre-back pairing for the entire season, with the former racking up over 1,600 league minutes, while Martinez has the fourth most Premier League minutes in the squad with 2,117.

With Man Utd locked in a fight with Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United for a place in the top four in the English top flight, as well as featuring in a European semi-final, the timing of the injuries to Varane and Martinez couldn't be worse.

Furthermore, a return date for Marcus Rashford has not yet been set, while Luke Shaw has also missed the past two games through injury.

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However, Ten Hag may take encouragement from his team's record without the first-choice centre-back duo playing.

Man Utd's record with and without Varane and Martinez

Although it's evident that Ten Hag doesn't favour Victor Lindelof or Maguire, the Dutchman will have to turn to the pair in the coming weeks, and it could be a blessing in disguise.

In all competitions, Man Utd's win rate this season with Varane and Martinez starting stands at a fairly measly 54.5%. By comparison, that win ratio jumps to 82.1% when the pair both don't start.

Maguire and Lindelof have won four of their five starts together this time, with the only defeat coming against Real Sociedad in the Europa League.

On the other hand, Lindelof and Casemiro saw out a comfortable 2-0 victory against Burnley on the Red Devils' route to League Cup glory, while Shaw and Maguire featured together in another 2-0 win, this time away to Leeds in the Premier League.

Ten Hag will be frustrated at losing his preferred centre-back partnership on a torrid evening at Old Trafford, but he should take solace in the fact Man Utd have coped well in their absence before.