Manchester United are signing one of the Champions League’s premier centre backs in Lisandro Martinez.
Statman Dave has shared a string of tweets to back up that claim and the data puts the Argentine in an incredibly positive light.
A look at Ajax’s demolition of Borussia Dortmund in the group stages shows a 95% passing accuracy even when playing an adventurous 10 long passes and a key pass to create a chance.
All that while putting in a stellar defensive performance to keep Erling Haaland “in his pocket.”
The diminutive defender made five clearances, won four interceptions and enjoyed a 100% tackle success rate, as he shut down the Norwegian who will be lining up for Manchester City next season.
Lisandro Martinez vs. Haaland & Borussia Dortmund:
95% pass accuracy
8/10 long passes completed
5 clearances
4 interceptions
4/4 tackles won
1 key pass
0 goals concededIn his back pocket… 🔐🔐🔐 pic.twitter.com/DBNWBrt81E
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) July 17, 2022
The stats don’t stop there, as across the competition Martinez put paid to doubts about his height, winning 1.8 aerial duels per game at a 64% success rate.
That ranks him higher than 6’4” Harry Maguire, and comfortably ahead of City defender Ruben Dias.
Aerial Duels Won per game in the Champions League 2021/22 (win rate):
Lisandro Martinez – 1.8 (64%)
Harry Maguire – 1.8 (61%)
Pau Torres – 1.2 (64%)
Rúben Dias – 0.8 (46%)Good leap of a Little lad. 😉😉😉 #MUFC pic.twitter.com/3CX8M3bl5M
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) July 17, 2022
As a ball playing defender, Lisandro was peerless in the competition.
With 87 passes per 90 minutes, 7.88 of them progressive, he is in the top 1% of centre-backs.
He can claim the 99th percentile for Shot-Creating actions (1.38), Through balls (0.25) and Assists (0.13) as well, meaning that United might just have gone some way to solving their issues in build-up play and progressing the ball up the pitch.
Those stats do not point to a dereliction of defensive duty, however, as the Argentine was also in the top 1% for tackles per 90 minutes, registering 3.13 per game.
Lisandro Martinez at Ajax ranked in the Top 1% of CB in Europe for (per 90):
Passes (87)
Progressive passes (7.88)
Tackles (3.13)
Shot-Creating actions (1.38)
Through balls (0.25)
Assists (0.13)One of the best Ball-Playing CBs in the Champions League. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/nmKhQHiERV
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) July 17, 2022
All in all, the Butcher of Amsterdam boasts an incredible variety to his game, with his Eredivisie stats showing him to be an “All-rounder,” capable in the air and on the deck, with the ball and without it.
1 – Lisandro Martínez completed more passes per 90 than any player to play 10+ times in last season’s Eredivisie (82.3), while he also boasted the best aerial duel success rate of any player to contest 100+ aerials in the 2021-22 competition (70.2%). All-rounder. pic.twitter.com/s0050fjdu6
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 17, 2022
82.3 passes per 90 in the Eredivisie and a whopping 70.2% aerial success rate will put him in good stead when he reunites with Erik ten Hag.
Manchester United fans have a lot to look forward to.
