Lisandro Martinez has already cracked the code of keeping Erling Haaland quiet over 90 minutes. When the Manchester United defender played for Ajax in last October’s 4-0 Champions League win against Haaland’s Borussia Dortmund, the Argentina international worked in tandem with defensive partner Jurrien Timber to nullify the threat of the man now tearing the Premier League apart with Manchester City.
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Haaland had chances to score in the Johan Cruyff Arena, but the defensive work of Martinez and Timber — along with coach Erik ten Hag’s tactical plan — ensured that the game ended with Haaland suffering what, for him, has become the rarity of failing to score.
Almost 12 months on, Martinez and Haaland will face off against each other again on Sunday when Ten Hag’s United travel to the Etihad in the first Manchester derby of the season. Both are in the early stages of their careers at their new clubs following summer transfers, and both have been two of the outstanding new arrivals into the Premier League this season. While there will be a number of key battles that will influence the outcome of Sunday’s game, the Martinez vs. Haaland head-to-head will arguably be the most decisive.
If Martinez, likely with the help of defensive partner Raphael Varane, can enjoy another 90 minutes without allowing Haaland to score, then United’s prospects of beating Pep Guardiola’s team will be far greater. Yet Haaland is proving to be almost unstoppable in a City shirt.
In 10 games in all competitions for his new club, the 22-year-old has scored 14 goals and only Bournemouth — yes, Bournemouth, who lost 9-0 at Liverpool — have stopped him scoring in a competitive fixture. And even though he failed to net in City’s 4-0 win against the Cherries, he still registered an assist, finding a way to make a telling contribution.
But while Sunday will clearly be a test of the Martinez-Varane axis, it will also be a challenge for Haaland, who has yet to face one of the Premier League’s so-called Big Six in a competitive fixture this season. In the Community Shield defeat against Liverpool in August — a game that isn’t classed as a competitive fixture — Haaland cut a frustrated figure against Virgil van Dijk and failed to score in a 3-1 defeat. Haaland’s most significant contribution in that game was missing an open goal from 3 yards out in stoppage time.
How Haaland fares against United will be an interesting pointer for the months ahead. If City’s supply line to their star striker is reduced when facing top teams, Guardiola’s side might not be quite as formidable as they have appeared against many of the Premier League’s weaker teams.
Haaland is unquestionably a goal-scoring phenomenon and stopping him will be United’s primary objective this weekend. In Martinez, though, they at least have a defender who knows how to do just that.
