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Manchester United came from behind to send Barcelona crashing out of the Europa League in a brilliant 2-1 win at Old Trafford.
Barcelona took the lead through a dubious penalty when Alejandro Balde was deemed to have been brought down by Bruno Fernandes inside the United box.
Robert Lewandowski converted the ensuing penalty.
However, goals from Fred and Antony turned the game on its head and sent the Red Devils to the round of 16.
United finished the game with 42% possession compared to Barca’s 58%.
Erik ten Hag’s men registered 12 shots, with five being on target. The Blaugrana on the other hand had only six shots with three requiring David de Gea to swing into action.
As expected, Barcelona made more passes than United. The Spanish giants made 452 passes with a success rate of 80%.
United made 340 passes with a pass accuracy of 71%.
In what was a defensively astute performance from the English club, the man in the middle of it was Lisandro Martinez.
The Argentine registered a duel win rate of 70%.
Martinez had 63 touches of the ball to his name and completed 35 passes during the 90 minutes or so he was on the pitch for his side.
Out of the nine long balls the World Cup winner attempted to ping to his teammates, an impressive five reached their designated targets.
Martinez made four crucial clearances that helped United keep out Barcelona’s lethal attackers.
The 25-year-old won four out of the five tackles he delved into.
Lisandro Martinez’s game by numbers vs. Barcelona:
70% duel win rate
63 touches
35 passes completed
5/9 long balls completed
4 clearances
4/5 tackles wonLeaving Old Trafford with Lewandowski in his back pocket. pic.twitter.com/rmBTBMy9lT
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) February 23, 2023
In what was an intense and high-pressure game against the Liga table leaders, Martinez came out on top and proved why he’s Ten Hag’s Mr Reliable.
