FA Cup final battles: Lisandro Martinez versus Erling Haaland | OneFootball

A disappointing Premier League season has drawn to a close with Manchester United ending up in eighth position, a worst-ever finish in the Premier League years.

Nonetheless, fans can momentarily forget their league woes and focus on another trip to Wembley, the fifth in the last two seasons, on Saturday.

The Red Devils will have the chance to win a trophy for a second successive season but standing in their way is the formidable shape of the champions, Manchester City.

One thing in United’s favour is that they have had a number of players return to fitness just at the right time after a season from hell on the injury front.

This was especially clear yesterday when once more Casemiro had to fill in at centre back. However Lisandro Martinez got his first start in months and Raphael Varane got valuable minutes under his belt in preparation for the cup final.

The Argentina international has been a huge miss all season as the United defence has wilted without his presence.

The side have conceded a whopping 84 goals in all competitions and whilst all of this is not down to the absence of Martinez, it is fair to say it was a pretty big factor.

The Argentine was sensational in his debut season and his no-nonsense defending paired with his artful passing from the back made him a vital cog in a successful first season for Erik ten Hag’s side.

There have been reports that United have struggled to cope without the Argentine’s leadership both on and off the pitch, as he has only pulled on the red shirt 13 times in this campaign.

His first start since early February against Brighton yesterday saw him put in an accomplished performance and he was a first half hero when he deflected a goal-bound effort off the line to save United from going behind once more in a game.

The start could have come at no better time as United prepare to take on the best in the business, Erling Haaland. It speaks much of the Norwegian’s talent that people consider him to have had a quiet season despite plundering 38 goals in 44 matches this year.

Whilst not being the most technically gifted player in the world, Haaland’s brute force and pace is terrifying for any defence, never mind his ruthless finishing skill.

Supplied by Kevin de Bruyne, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva, it is little wonder he scores so many.

However, Martinez has had success against Haaland before. The World Cup winner did not play in either of the two league defeats this year nor the FA Cup final last season.

The last time “the Butcher” faced the Norwegian was in January 2023 and he kept him relatively quiet, with Haaland failing to score or create many chances in a 2-1 win for the Red Devils at Old Trafford.

There is an obvious size and speed mismatch between the two players but Martinez is an intelligent defender who knows how to use his body and position himself well in spite of his small frame.

In addition, the defender’s fantastic ball-playing skills will be essential if United are to build out from the back in the limited possession they have. There is no shame in conceding the lion’s share of possession to this City team, but they will need to be proactive and threatening in the moments they can keep the ball.

What’s more, Martinez is a fantastic long passer, so he can launch counters for United’s speedy attackers, Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford to try and get in behind to punish City’s highline on a massive Wembley pitch.

But his ability to once again keep Haaland in his pocket will be the most vital thing of all if United are to have any chance of bringing the FA Cup home to Old Trafford.

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