"My crazy wolf" - Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez blown away by Argentina teammate's performance
Lisandro Martinez was full of praise for teammate Cristian Romero after Argentina's win over Ecuador in an international friendly on Sunday, June 9. The Manchester United star termed the Tottenham Hotspur defender a 'crazy wolf' on Instagram.
Angel di Maria scored the only goal of the game in the first half to seal a 1-0 win over Ecuador just days ahead of the 2024 Copa America kick-off. Lionel Scolani started the game with Lionel Messi on the bench as he continued to figure out his best XI for the upcoming tournament.
Martinez was delighted with the start – his first for the national team since he faced Panama in March 2023 – and commented on Romero's Instagram post:
"My crazy wolf."
Martinez spoke about his fitness last week, stating that he would take the recently concluded season as a lesson. He told Infobae:
"It was not a good season personally or as a team either. But you have to be prepared for when these things happen, these types of injuries. And you have to learn from them. I have to take it as an experience and be very strong physically and mentally. Today, I feel excellent. I have to focus on what is happening now, in the present."
Lisandro Martinez played just 14 matches for Manchester United this season. He featured in the FA Cup final win over Manchester City and played a crucial role in his 73 minutes on the pitch.
Lisandro Martinez heaps praise on Argentine teammates
Lisandro Martinez spoke about his teammates ahead of Copa America, including Lionel Messi and Alejandro Garnacho. The Manchester United star claimed that Messi was not thinking about retirement just yet as Argentina still needed him. He told Infobae:
"He's very calm, more than anything he's enjoying the day to day. It's beautiful to be here, we all have a great relationship. When one is here, one is very happy. We feel at home, which is important. We don't see it [as his last tournament with Argentina.] We see him happy, and with an impressive level. That's what I can tell you."
Speaking about Garrnacho with ESPN, he added:
"He has enormous talent and he has to believe, like in the (first) goal, where he thought there was going to be a rival mistake. He himself caused (Josko) Gvardiol's mistake. That is the result of when you try your hardest. The truth is that I am very proud of him because he has worked hard every day, especially at his age. He's a great boy. Now, we have to help him, guide him and be with him at all times."
Lisandro Martinez is expected to make the Copa America main squad and could feature in most of the games for Scaloni's side at the tournament.