Manchester United secured their second win of the season, beating newly promoted Southampton 3-0 at St Mary’s Stadium. It was a huge win for the Red Devils, who responded well to two disappointing defeats against Brighton and Hove Albion and most recently Liverpool at Old Trafford.
There was an early scare for Erik ten Hag’s side after Diogo Dalot brought Tyler Dibling down just inside the penalty box to give the Saints a penalty. However, Andre Onana pulled off a save low to his right from Cameron Archer’s spot-kick, also managing to save the rebound.
From there, United dominated, and took the lead through new centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, who scored from a well-worked corner routine, meeting a Bruno Fernandes cross with a bullet header.
Marcus Rashford then doubled the Red Devils’ lead, scoring from range and sending his effort past Aaron Ramsdale’s far post and into the bottom corner. Alejandro Garnacho sealed the three points with a late strike off the bench.
United will be pleased with their performance, getting a crucial three points and their second clean sheet of the season. There were some impressive defensive showings from their backline, with Lisandro Martinez putting in a particularly good shift.
Lisandro Martinez’s stats vs. Southampton
The 2023/24 season was frustrating for United defender Martinez, who suffered several long-term injuries. In total, the Argentine World Cup winner missed 42 games and 188 days last term with three separate injuries.
However, he has seemed very much his old self so far this term and was integral to United’s three points on the South Coast on Saturday afternoon. The defender played with another former Ajax player, De Ligt, for the fourth time at St Mary’s.
Indeed, the Argentine international was so impressive against Russel Martin’s side that GiveMeSport journalist Louis Wheeldon gave him a post-match rating of 8/10. The journalist stated that Martinez put in “several critical” defensive contributions, before praising his “perfect” passing.
That was also reflected in the 26-year-old’s SofaScore stats. He completed an impressive 58 out of 60 passes, at an accuracy of 97%. Not only that, the defender won four out of four ground duels and both of his attempted tackles.
Lisandro Martinez stats vs. Southampton | |
|---|---|
Stat | Number |
Passes completed | 58/60 |
Pass accuracy | 97% |
Touches | 70 |
interceptions | 4 |
Ground duels won | 4/4 |
Tackles | 2/2 |
Dribbles completed | 2/2 |
Stats from SofaScore | |
It was certainly an impressive showing from the defender, although he was arguably outshone by his partner De Ligt, who was superb outside of the goal he scored.
Matthijs de Ligt’s stats vs. Southampton
It was a brilliant first goal for the Red Devils for the man Ten Hag made captain of Ajax at the age of just 17. Now an experienced campaigner despite being just 25 years of age, De Ligt showed all of his class at St Mary’s this afternoon.
United’s number four went off injured, and Ten Hag will be desperate for him to be available for next weekend’s trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace, given the nature of his performance against the Saints.
Indeed, Wheeldon gave the Dutchman a higher rating than his defensive partner after the game at St Mary’s. He graded De Ligt’s performance a 9/10, describing him as “imperious at the back” to go along with his goal.
The 25-year-old’s stats on SofaScore also made for impressive reading. He made 59 passes out of 64 he attempted, with a 92% accuracy. Defensively, the centre-back was colossal, winning three from three aerial duels and making six clearances.
It was a phenomenal performance from, the defender, who has made himself undroppable for the time being under a manager who knows him so well.
Ten Hag must keep the Dutch international in the starting XI moving forward as he has shown the defensive steel and strength that will be needed to enjoy a successful campaign.
