Lisandro Martinez of Manchester United got off to a great start as Argentina began their Copa America campaign by defeating a tough Canadian team.
The United centre back was given the nod to start alongside Cristian Romero and will be hoping to maintain his hard-earned position throughout the tournament.
La Albiceleste won 2-0 but could not take a lead into halftime because they were confronted by a determined Canadian team that fought tooth and nail and could have scored as well, as both sides lost golden opportunities.
Argentina finally broke through in the 49th minute through Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez, but it took until the 88th minute for Lautaro Martinez to score after a superb Lionel Messi through ball.
The World Cup winners controlled 65% of the game and had 19 shots against Canada’s 10.
Martinez contributed to his team’s clean sheet, and Sofascore awarded him a 7.2 for his efforts that evening.
He completed another critical 90 minutes of duty for the national team, his third in a row, which United fans will hope is a sign that his injury issues are behind him.
He made two clearances and one interception against a dangerous Canadian counterattack.
He won two tackles, won two of his four ground duels, and did not participate in any aerial bouts during the match.
Martinez demonstrated exceptional discipline, committing only one foul.
El Carnicero was superb on the ball, as usual, and provided Argentina with a good foundation to build out from the defense, as he frequently does for United.
He had 98 touches on the ball and completed 83 of 89 passes for a 93% completion percentage. He also made one crucial pass and provided one big opportunity with a magnificent through ball over the top that was not finished off by a wasteful Argentine onslaught.
The championship holders will face Chile on Tuesday evening (Wednesday morning UK time) with the goal of making it two wins in two games, and Martinez will be eager to play 90 minutes once more.
Alejandro Garnacho, United’s other participant, was again left on the bench and will be hoping for a chance to make his first appearance in the tournament in his country’s next game.