Lisandro Martínez gave good news to Lionel Scaloni. Less than a month before the debut of the Argentine National Team in the America Cup -it will be on June 20 against Canada in Atlanta-, the defender of the Manchester United He completed a good performance in the Red Devils’ victory against Manchester City in the FA Cup final. His team won 2-1 with goals from Alejandro Garnacho and the British Kobbie Mainoo and claimed champion in England.
Licha, a fixture on Scaloni’s list as long as he is healthy, is in the process of getting physically fit and getting into a football rhythm after a first part of the year in which injuries left him off the field. First he suffered a sprain of the collateral ligament in his left knee and then, when he had been able to play just one game upon his return, he tore the soleus of his left leg. He now seems recovered and is beginning to reunite with the best version of himself.
He suffered from inactivity: he cramped and had to be replaced 27 minutes into the second half by Jonny Evans. But he also had a very good performance against Guardiola’s City during the time he was on the field. He won many individual duels and together with Rapahel Varane they formed a wall that not even the all-powerful Erling Haaland could break.
“Lisandro Martínez is in the top 5 of the best central defenders in the world,” praised him Pep Guardiola after the match played at Wembley. His words echoed loudly. And he added another foundation to his game. “He made the difference with his forward passes,” said the four-time Premier League champion coach with City.
Lisandro also showed his side as a leader. At the time of being replaced, when referee Andy Madley asked him to retreat to one of the sides to avoid walking across the entire width of the pitch, he had a clash with Jeremy Doku and then got into a heated argument with Kyle Walker for the same topic. Walker, captain and voice of command in the Citizens, He rebuked the Argentine defender, but he did not let himself be intimidated. Finally, after a tumult between players from both teams, he left the field and watched his team’s victory from the bench.
It was his third consecutive game after recovering from the last injury: he came on at the end of the 3-2 victory against Newcastle in the Premier League and started as a starter against Brighton, also in the English league, and against Manchester City in the final of the FA Cup, which helped those from Old Trafford qualify for the UEFA Europa League and finish the season with a smile.
It is a key piece for Erik Ten Hag and also for Lionel Scaloni, who has it very well considered. Yeah Holiday Romero or Nicolás Otamendi are injured, the world champion coach knows that he can count on Lisandro. And he takes the lead to keep the place that he will leave, sooner rather than later, Ota in the starting team of the National Team.
Precisely, at the FA Cup celebrations he was seen with another of the members of the Scaloneta, Alejandro Garnacho, author of one of the winning goals, both posing in the locker room with the Argentine flag and the trophy. And on the court he hit his chest when he heard the cry of “Argentina, Argentina, Argentina…” fall from the stands.
On the other side was Julian Alvarez and Lysander lost no opportunity to praise him. “Obviously it’s not nice to lose a final, but at his young age he has won a lot. He is an incredible person who deserves everything he is achieving. And he is one of the top players in the world. I always wished him the best,” he told ESPN, still at Wembley. As if to continue feeding the good vibes among the world champions.