Haaland’s Manchester derby curse continues — and the numbers are brutal
Erling Haaland has a remarkable Manchester derby streak he will desperately want to end.
Details: The Manchester City striker has failed to score in each of the last five Manchester derbies in which Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez has featured. The sequence is especially striking considering how their rivalry began: Haaland scored a hat-trick in their first derby against each other in October 2022.
Since that spectacular introduction, however, Haaland has not found the net against United in any derby where Martínez has been on the pitch. The Argentine has therefore become an increasingly uncomfortable opponent for one of the most prolific strikers in world football.
Martínez himself is refusing to read too much into the statistic ahead of the next meeting. The defender said:
“That is the past. It’s gone. I have to be ready because this game will be completely different.”
The next chapter of the rivalry arrives on September 13, when Manchester United host Manchester City at Old Trafford in the Premier League. Haaland will have another opportunity to finally break the unusual run whenever Martínez is involved.
It is worth noting that Haaland heads into derby week in excellent scoring form. The Norwegian has scored five goals in his last three matches, making his recent record against Martínez even more eye-catching.
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Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
