Football

World Cup 2022: Manchester United Defenders to Clash in World Cup Final

World Cup 2022: Manchester United Defenders to Clash in World Cup Final

The World Cup final will likely see the members of Manchester United’s current center-back pairing go head-to-head when Lisandro Martinez lines out for Argentina and Raphael Varane starts for reigning champions France at the Lusail Stadium.

Though the main focus may be on another clash between teammates, namely Paris Saint Germain attackers Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, who are both level on five goals for the tournament in Qatar, the tussle between the two Manchester United center-backs should also be intriguing.

A good relationship at Manchester United

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Martinez is a relatively new signing for the Red Devils, joining the club over the summer under the new reign of Erik ten Hag, but the two will be quite familiar with each other having player together quite frequently with club captain Harry Maguire dropped to the bench.

Playing together in Manchester United’s positive run in September appeared to form a close relationship between the duo, on and off the field of play.  At that time, the pair shared their closeness in posts to social media.

A photo posted to Instagram featuring Varane, Martinez as well as David de Gea and Diego Dalot celebrating a victory in the Premier League was captioned with the following:

“Another step in the right direction! Bringing 3 points back to Manchester,” Varane commented on the social media platform.

Rio Ferdinand commented on the pair’s positive relationship at the time, having been impressed by the center-back pairing and describing them as “almost like the perfect couple.”

Manchester United Defenders World Cup Form

After picking up an injury in Man United’s final Premier League game versus Chelsea in October, Varane was a doubt for France coming into the 2022 World Cup but has managed to make five appearances for Les Bleus so far in Qatar.

Martinez, on the other hand, has also appeared in all five games for his country but has not started all those fixtures. The defender started the quarter-final for the South American team when manager Lionel Scaloni opted to play three at the back, but Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi were preferred in a defensive duo for Argentina’s semi-final win over Croatia.

Though the player’s have had a successful early partnership at their shared club, looking to be close on and off the field, there is sure to be no love lost between the pair during the World Cup final. Varane will be looking to secure two wins in a row for France while Martinez will be hoping to bring the trophy back to Argentina on the nation’s sixth final appearance.

Consequences for Manchester  United

It promises a fascinating sub-plot for Man United fans to keep an eye on during the grand finale in the gulf. Either way, the future looks good for the club as both their starting center-backs are likely to make an appearance in football’s showcase event.

How it plays out in the Manchester dressing room will also be interesting following the tournament’s outcome. One player is sure to return basking in his nation’s glory while the other may well be devastated with a loss.

Red Devils fans will just be hoping the pair can get along in the aftermath of the game so the club can continue to develop under Ten Hag.


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