It is unlikely that any Premier League defender is relishing the task of dealing with Erling Haaland, but Lisandro Martinez can approach Sunday's Manchester derby knowing he has already won one battle with the striker.
Nowadays, Haaland is firing in goals at an astonishing rate for Manchester City, while Martinez is starting to show why United parted ways with just under £60million to lure from Ajax this summer. The two will take to the field on Sunday for their first taste of the local derby, but they have already faced off against each other before.
Though Haaland is currently the happier of the two given City sit third one point off top-spot while United are two places below in fifth, Martinez came out the winner the last time the two met directly.
The bout is likely to still be fresh in the memory of both given it only took place last season in October 2021, as Haaland's Borussia Dortmund side made the trip to the Dutch capital to take on Ajax in the Champions League group stage. Many pundits prior to kick-off had tipped it to be a cagey, hard-fought affair between two sides with attractive playing styles.
What followed was anything but cagey, as Martinez's Ajax ran riot and came away 4-0 victors. Haaland was kept relatively quiet throughout, striking the woodwork on one occasion but ultimately had his threat nullified by the Argentine defender throughout.
Martinez was quick to stick a foot in and nip the ball away from the forward anytime Haaland looked to be in a promising position, performing so well that Erik Ten Hag, then also at Ajax, singled the defender out for praise in front of his teammates in the dressing room after the match.
This feat was made all the more impressive when factoring in their contrasting physical presence. Haaland towers over most defenders at 6ft4, while Martinez is one of the smallest centre-backs around at 5ft9. Dortmund then hosted Ajax in the return fixture in November but Haaland missed the clash.
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Haaland's 11 Premier League goals in seven games means it has been smooth-sailing ever since he first arrived at the Etihad, but the same cannot be said for Martinez.
Just two games into his United career the Argentina international was under intense scrutiny. Two defeats by Brighton and Brentford, the latter of which was a 4-0 drubbing, meant a plethora of pundits were calling for Martinez to be taken out of the team already, claiming his height would be a huge issue in the English top-flight.
Four games and four wins later, Martinez has turned the tide on his fortunes - helped in part by the fact he is now partnered with Raphael Varane rather than error-prone and out of form club captain Harry Maguire.
However, silencing Haaland on Sunday afternoon when the Norwegian is this kind of form would go some way to ensuring Martinez's stock rises even further and silence the last few lingering critics.
