A team wins a single game MVP, and a team loses a team that can also be named in the Premier League Team of the Year. Winner of the World Cup and a hottie girlfriend that even The Sun needs to cover, Lisandro Martinez is a proud breeze.
When Manchester United fans sing "Argentina, Argentina" for the defender after the game, this happiness may only be experienced by Reds fans and Lisandro Martinez himself.
01. From Mohamed Salah to shine the World Cup: It's been a fantastic season in Lima
a. Death prevention Salah: Lima successfully established himself at Manchester United
Lisandro Martinez (Lima for short) did not get off to a smooth start at Manchester United, and when the team lost back-to-back, he was criticized for his header disadvantage.
However, in the double red meeting with Liverpool, Lima contributed 7 saves, 3 blocking shots and 1 steal and 1 interception perfect defensive answer, plus firmly froze Salah, which was recognized by countless Manchester United fans.
Because of Lima's flexibility, he can press forward at any time, while intercepting long passes and straight plugs, which can protect the empty space between United's defender line and midfield line to the maximum.
What is memorable is the goal line blocking B-Fei's own goal, when if the Portuguese made a big mistake, it could have caused Manchester United, which was at a low ebb, to collapse, and there would be no spring breeze behind.
b. Shining World Cup: First in 4 statistical events
At the World Cup, Lisandro Martinez was originally just a substitute for the team, but when Argentina needed him, he unleashed a huge amount of energy.
With a 75% success rate in ground confrontation, 89% success rate in one-on-one defense, 90 successful long passes and a long pass distance of 22,000 meters, 4 statistics ranked first in the World Cup, making him one of the heroes who helped Messi and Argentina win the title.
Especially in the face of Australia's round of 16, the opponent's left-back completed a historic breakthrough into the box, and the result was that Lima completed a life-saving blocking shot at the moment of the shot, allowing Argentina to successfully qualify.
If Australia had really equalized the score at that time, the overall consumption and mentality impact on Argentina would have been not small.
02. Named in the best squad against Arsenal: He plugged United's weakness
a. Can make up for the back & go back to his own restricted area to save his life
In the last round of the Premier League, Manchester United lost 3-2 to Arsenal, but Lisandro Martinez managed to make the squad of the round.
His value is that he can protect his back (in tune with Casemiro) and at the same time return to his own box to deliver a life-saving tackle.
Especially when Arsenal have full possession of the ball and constantly attack, Lima's "firefighting" attribute becomes important.
This time Odegaard went straight and saw that Xhaka could get a solo chance, and it was Lima who crossed the tackle and saved the team's life.
Lima is not only saving a tackle in his own penalty area, he also has a value of topping out.
In the Premier League, the success rate of Lima is still high, with a 64% success rate against one-on-one matches on the ground, and this time Odegaard is an example.
Lima not only protects the back zone on the defensive end, but also has a stronger ability to shoot the ball when switching offensive and defensive than most backs.
This direct ball found the front, and the split wing Anthony advanced a cross over Rashford's shot, which can be described as a one-shot shot. Lima's steal + counterattack to launch a dragon is a key part of the whole system.
b. Good flexibility + alertness: easy to use around the big guys in the Premier League
From the perspective of defensive data, Lima's steals + interceptions are almost averaged between 3-3.5 per game, and there are 3.8 other saves.
Coupled with blocking shots, he can complete more than 7 effective defenses per game. His flexibility, in particular, is very good for his Premier League team-mates.
In the battle against Arsenal, the performance was clear. When the opponent repeatedly pierced United's flanks and ribs, Lima's firefighting ability helped the team a lot.
This time with Nketiah at least allowed Manchester United to escape. Then he immediately stepped out to block Odegaard's supplementary shot, and the advantage of flexibility was obvious.
The goal against Arsenal was Lima's first goal since arriving in the Premier League. In fact, the key point is his high concentration, 55-goal reaction and hard work.
He was the first to anticipate the ball and jumped to head the ball at the first time, once helping Manchester United equalize the score.
03. Semi-final Player of the Year: First place in a single game in five stats
a. Be ruthless to your opponent and ruthless to yourself
In the first leg of the League Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest, United scored three goals lightly, and Lisandro Martinez had five stats to top in a single game.
He contributed 4 steals, 4 clearances and 9 wins to the team, while having the most passes and touches, and was named the best player after the game.
As you can see from the game footage, Lima has a very fierce tackle and has a very good confrontational temperament in key moments.
Know that he is not only cruel to the other party, but also to himself. This time with a header from inside the box, Lima risked a headshot from Gibbs White (already injured in the head) to complete the crucial clearance.
b. Counterattack Master: Launch a counterattack + limit the opponent's counterattack
Another characteristic of Lima is that his long passes are excellent, and as mentioned above, he can break the ball and attack in one.
At the same time, Lima's sweeping ability is also excellent, which can contain the opponent's counterattack and complete the key rescue of the defensive line.
As you can see from the footage of the match against Arsenal, this long pass to the B fee in the box is impressive.
Had it not been for the latter's physical contact with the goalkeeper during the last spot grab and then fell to the ground, it is likely that the shot was scored.
Let's look at this round, when the opponent hit the heart of Manchester United's midfield. Lima can entangle the opponent at key moments, and it is important to be flexible at the foot and can destroy in time, which also makes Manchester United, who cannot defend in midfield, have a better tolerance rate.
Conclusion:
The success of a team always comes from buying the right players and tapping into the potential of the team. Although Anthony is still not very good, at least Lisandro Martinez's performance deserves applause.
Did he make Manchester United forget Maguire? Perhaps forgotten are the shame of those strong conversations and the painful memories of being away from the Champions League.