Iñigo Martínez got his first 'MVP' of the season this Wednesday against Crvena Zvezda (2-5). The FC Barcelona central defender was the best of the culé defense along with Jules Koundé (the Frenchman gave 3 assists), scoring the goal that opened the way to a new victory for Hansi Flick's team.
In the 13th minute, the man from Ondarroa overtook the defense of the Serbian team after a free kick served by Raphinha. The '11' cross was perfect, straight to the head of the Basque, who finished off the mark, crossing the header to the far post, impossible for goalkeeper Ilic.
In the end, in another great collective performance by Barça, UEFA chose to give the most valuable of the match award to Martínez, a prize for his great defensive work on a night where the culés gave a few more facilities than normal in the background.
Iñigo scored his second goal in the Champions League
For Iñigo, Wednesday's goal was his second goal of the season, both in the Champions League. The '5' had scored on matchday 2 against Young Boys, also with a header and in a match that ended with another 'hand' for Barça.
For now, the Basque remains firmly in Hansi Flick's XI and has made 4 of 4 starts in the Champions League. In the League, he was only a substitute against Osasuna, curiously the only defeat the team recorded in the domestic competition.
Award for defensive work for Iñigo Martínez
After the match, the Basque expressed his happiness at receiving the 'MVP' from UEFA, in addition to evaluating Barça's wonderful moment on a collective level. "This MVP belongs to the entire team. We have all worked for this. After the goal we relaxed, but in the second half it was us," Iñigo explained when summarizing the match, showing self-criticism for slowing down a bit. being in advantage
In that sense, he added: "Things are being done very well and it is reflected in the game. Being a defender, I must admit that we suffer (for this style) and if the team drops a little point we notice it. We are happy and we hope to continue "that's how good," said the one from Ondarroa.
In total, Martínez completed 92 of 98 passes (94% correct) during the 90 minutes. In addition, he completed 5 defensive actions, with 9 balls recovered and 4 duels won. No Red Star rival beat him head-to-head during the day. Until now, the '5' has only rested 6 minutes so far in the first 4 days of the Champions League.