Five times Licha owned the stage
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Five times Lisandro Martinez owned the stage
Thursday 04 July 2024 12:00
Lisandro Martinez is back to his best, as Argentina prepare to face Ecuador in the quarter-final of the 2024 Copa America.
And news of Licha's excellent form alongside Tottenham Hotspur's Cristian Romero, at the heart of Lionel Scaloni's defence, is music to the ears of United fans.
How we missed the diminutive titan at the centre of our own backline for much of 2023/24 – something that was made abundantly clear when Martinez returned to magical effect in the season-closing Emirates FA Cup final.
This week, as our new adidas home kit for 2024/25 is released, we're talking about Reds who have 'owned the stage', mixing performance, ambition and unwavering belief. Licha ticks all those boxes and more, so here are five of his best stage-owning moments as a United cult hero...
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ONE: UNITED 2 LIVERPOOL 1
(Premier League, 22 August 2022)
Given the reputation Martinez has built as a United player in just two seasons and 59 appearances, it's easy to forget that his Old Trafford career began with two troubling defeats. The second of which was a 4-0 mauling at Brentford, which led to knee-jerk comments in the media. Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher tweeted: "The signing of Martinez for over £50m already looks wrong!" afterwards. But it didn't take long for Carragher to start revising that judgment.
In the very next game, when Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool travelled to M16, another defeat was predicted. Instead, United won 2-1, with Martinez bringing precisely the kind of siege-like mentality that was required. Goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford skewed the scoreline in our favour, but Licha's let's-have-it lust for battle spooked Liverpool's forwards and, more importantly, endeared him to 70,000 delighted Reds.
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TWO: CHELSEA 1 UNITED 1
(Premier League, 22 October 2022)
One of United's best Stamford Bridge performances for years seemed likely to crumble to nothing when the hosts went ahead with just minutes remaining. But a resolute United responded just before the final whistle, when Casemiro nodded home a long, looping Luke Shaw free-kick.
But it was Martinez who stood out in the celebrations, diving into a boisterous United away end to take part in a moment of glorious communion with thousands of Reds. One of the pictures taken, which shows him celebrating with an equally rabid fan, went around the world, symbolising the way Martinez had instantly grasped the spirit of Manchester and United: graft, determination and personality.
THREE: ARSENAL 3 UNITED 2
(Premier League, 22 January 2023)
Agonisingly, the Reds went down at Arsenal due to Eddie Nketiah's late winner, but Martinez memorably grabbed his first goal – a typically brave header amid a penalty-box stramash.
Again, the celebration was something else. Martinez, clad in a headband due to an injury sustained at Selhurst Park, charged off towards the United fans, both legs off the ground, and performed what can only be described as a sort of backside slide. It was glorious, whatever description you care to apply.
FOUR: UNITED 2 CRYSTAL PALACE 1
(Premier League, 4 February 2023)
The momentum United built throughout the early months of 2023 was remarkable: nine wins in 11 games followed the Arsenal setback, climaxing in a magnificent win over Barcelona and the Carabao Cup triumph against Newcastle United. Martinez was totemic in both of those matches, but perhaps his best performance in that run was during the 2-1 league win over Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.
The game threatened to swing on a harsh red card, dished out to Casemiro in the second half, with United seemingly comfortable thanks to goals from Bruno Fernandes and Rashford. But suddenly, Palace pulled one back through Jeffrey Schlupp, and what followed was a bombardment of our goal.
Yet 10-man United refused to buckle, primarily thanks to the bullish belligerence of Martinez, who marshalled the defence with relish, and snapped into numerous crowd-pleasing 50-50s. The Reds got over the line, and chants of 'Argentina! Argentina!' swept around the ground as the players left the pitch.
FIVE: CITY 1 UNITED 2
(FA Cup final, 25 May 2024)
The 2023/24 season was agonising for Martinez, due to a series of injury setbacks. He made just 14 appearances, far below the 45 he managed in his maiden campaign at the club. But in contrast to 2022/23, when a late-season injury kept him out of the FA Cup final with Manchester City, this time he returned to action just in time for our Wembley reunion with Pep Guardiola's Blues.
Martinez was hurled straight into the team by Erik ten Hag, for only his second start in almost four months. What he then delivered was a near-miraculous display of composure and competitive bite; quelling the threat of Erling Haaland, inspiring his team-mates, and threading countless intelligent passes through City's pressing attempts.
Martinez didn't make it to full-time, being replaced by Jonny Evans in the 73rd minute, but he packed weeks of determination and pride into that performance, and gave a clear message to the Blues: we won't be intimidated or beaten for effort. Every Red was a giant on that perfect day at Wembley, but the context around Licha's season lent his individual contribution a special glow.
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