Lisandro Martinez started at centre-back for Argentina as World Cup preparations concluded against Iceland in Alabama.
It was a comfortable match for Argentina to round out their World Cup build-up, and like many of his teammates, Lisandro Martinez looked like he was playing in second gear.
Martinez and Argentina are going for back-to-back triumphs at football’s biggest event, having lifted the coveted trophy in 2022.
Martinez played the entire first-half before being rotated out for the second-half. Here is how he fared in the friendly.
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Lisandro Martinez shines for Argentina against Iceland
Martinez was absolutely stellar for Argentina at the back, and he departed while his nation led 1-0.
While there wasn’t very much to do defensively given Iceland’s lack of threat, Martinez shone on the ball.
He completed 45/47 passes attempted, including one key pass as he slipped a teammate in behind with a long ball.
Martinez completed 16 carries, with a handful seeing him evade lots of pressure with relative ease, using his close control.
Martinez did complete one recovery, but this was the only defensive contribution required.
Martinez didn’t try any heroics, but his performance went under the radar. Which is exactly what you want from a centre-back. He did everything right, including some sublime passing.
A sharp performance that shows he is ready for the competition.
Next up, Argentina begins their World Cup campaign against Algeria next Wednesday.
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