September 11, 2026, 10:40 AM
Lisandro Martínez capped Manchester United’s 4–0 Champions League victory over Sabah with a goal, a clean sheet and a playful post-match exchange with Jamie Carragher. Asked by Micah Richards to name his favourite member of the CBS Sports panel, the Argentina defender chose Thierry Henry before joking that he prefers to watch “quality players.”
Carragher had interjected by suggesting that defenders should support one another, but Martínez’s response drew laughter from Henry, Richards and Carragher himself. When asked directly about Carragher as a player, Martínez added: “As a player? Good person, you know,” extending the light-hearted exchange.
The moment came after Martínez scored United’s fourth goal in their opening Champions League league-phase match. Matheus Cunha, Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Šeško had already put Michael Carrick’s team in command before the Argentine defender completed the scoring in the 68th minute.
Martínez’s comments carried extra context because Carragher had been among the most prominent early critics of the defender following his arrival from Ajax in 2022. Carragher had questioned whether the 5ft 9in centre-back could succeed in the Premier League, though he later conceded that Martínez had proved those doubts wrong.
The defender was also at the centre of a major controversy during United’s 2–1 defeat to Leeds in April. Martínez was shown a straight red card after VAR instructed referee Paul Tierney to review an off-the-ball incident involving Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the referee ruling that Martínez had pulled the forward’s hair.
United were trailing 2–0 at the time, after Noah Okafor scored twice for Leeds. Casemiro pulled one back with a header from Bruno Fernandes’ delivery, but Martínez’s dismissal left Carrick’s side with 10 players for the closing stages. The United manager described the red card as “one of the worst” decisions he had seen, although hair-pulling is treated as violent conduct under the Laws of the Game when it is not part of a legitimate attempt to play the ball.
Martínez also drew attention in January after responding to comments from Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt before United’s 2–0 derby victory over Manchester City. Butt had suggested Erling Haaland could “pick Martinez up and run with him,” while Scholes said the Norwegian might target the defender.
After helping United contain Haaland and win the derby, Martínez invited Scholes to speak with him face to face if he had further criticism. Scholes later praised the defender’s performance while urging him to maintain that standard consistently.
Martínez now heads into Sunday’s Manchester derby with renewed confidence after an influential performance against Sabah. His goal, defensive contribution and visible personality have again placed him at the centre of United’s preparations for one of the season’s biggest fixtures.
