Martinez’s cheeky jibe at Haaland ahead of Man Utd and Man City clash
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The last time Lisandro Martinez and Erling Haaland went head to head, the Manchester United new boy couldn’t resist a little dig. In a message uploaded to Instagram after Ajax beat Borussia Dortmund 4-0 last season, the Argentina international used a picture mocking his Norwegian opponent. What’s more, he also couldn’t resist a naughty swear word either…
There will be many fascinating battles when Manchester United lock horns with Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.
And one of the most intriguing is the one between Martinez and Haaland, with much made of the height differences between the pair.
Both are new to the Premier League, with Martinez moving from Ajax and Haaland heading to Manchester City from German giants Borussia Dortmund.
And they’ve made positive impressions in their new surroundings, suggesting they’re very much money well spent.
The last time Martinez and Haaland went head to head was last October, when Ajax met Dortmund in the Champions League.
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It was a memorable night for the Argentina international and his team-mates, with Erik ten Hag’s side cruising to a 4-0 win with a sumptuous display in Amsterdam.
Marco Reus’ own goal gave Ajax an early lead in the 11th minute, with Daley Blind then notching.
And the Eredivisie giants then netted through Antony and Sebastien Haller to give them all three points – and consign Haaland and Dortmund to defeat.
Following the contest, Martinez took to social media.
Sharing an image of himself tackling Haaland, in a playful jibe, he then said: “Let’s go @afcajax f*** it!! great night.
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“Proud of everyone! Come on #ajax !!! What a great night, proud of the whole team!!”
Both players have arguably improved since then – which means Sunday’s derby showdown will make for fascinating viewing.
Haaland has been sensational for City this season, scoring 14 goals across all competitions.
Only Liverpool, in the Community Shield, and Bournemouth have been able to prevent the 22-year-old from finding the net.
Martinez experienced a shaky start to life at United, struggling as the Red Devils lost their opening two league games against Brighton and Brentford.
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But he’s bounced back to become one of the first names on Ten Hag’s team sheet, at the expense of club captain Harry Maguire.
Chris Sutton, writing for the Daily Mail, thinks it’ll be a fascinating battle when the two teams step out at the Etihad.
“You don’t imagine 5ft 9in Martinez will be marking 6ft 4in Erling Haaland at corners in Sunday’s Manchester derby,” he said.
“The photographers will be trying their hardest to show how one towers over the other.
“But for all that the United defender’s height has been highlighted, you have to be impressed with how he has bounced back from his initial struggles.
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“He’s shown good aggression, as if he wants to let his critics know he can handle the Premier League.
“There is no greater challenge than Haaland, though, and this battle is one reason why Sunday’s derby will make for interesting viewing.”
United lost twice to City last season.
They were comfortably beaten 2-0 at Old Trafford shortly before the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
And they were comprehensively beaten in the reverse fixture at the Etihad in March, with Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez bagging braces in a comfortable 4-1 win.
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