Lisandro Martinez issues defiant warning to Erling Haaland as Man Utd defender prepares for derby showdown against Man City

Manchester United will host local rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon. The Red Devils have endured a sluggish start to their Premier League campaign, but they enter the derby on the back of a morale-boosting 4-0 Champions League victory over Sabah on Thursday night.

The upcoming clash will see Martinez and Haaland renew their individual battle on the pitch. Despite Haaland netting a hat-trick on Martinez's derby debut, the Norwegian has failed to score in the subsequent five encounters involving the Argentine. Notably, Martinez delivered a flawless defensive display during a 2-0 United victory in January under Michael Carrick, silencing earlier doubts regarding his ability to handle the prolific City forward.

Despite his impressive recent record against Haaland, Martinez is refusing to dwell on previous encounters. Speaking to reporters after the European win over Sabah, the centre-back was asked about his history of nullifying the City talisman.

"Yeah, but that is the past," Martinez responded. "It's the past, you know, it's gone, and now we have to, I have to be ready for this game because it's going to be so different from the last one."

United's midweek European triumph has injected vital positivity into the squad, and Martinez acknowledged the importance of the result. "For sure when you win, your confidence is going up, you know," he explained. "But now we have to be calm, we have to be humble and enjoy tonight, and then tomorrow we have to think about the derby that is really important for us."

City will have enjoyed an extra 48 hours of rest ahead of the fixture, but Martinez remains unfazed by the schedule. "This is what we want, playing every three days, playing in all the competitions," he added. "This is what we want from long time, you know, and now we are ready. We have to recover now and this is the standard that we want as a team."

The defender even found the back of the net against Sabah, though he stressed that his primary focus remains on his defensive duties. "Well, I'm happy with the performance and with the clean sheet," Martinez concluded. "I'm a defender, you know, and if I score it's good, if I don't score, it doesn't matter, you know. For me, it's important to get the three points and winning and playing good football, that's the most important for me and that's it."

United now face the ultimate domestic test when Enzo Maresca's side arrive at Old Trafford. Securing a positive result in the derby could serve as a major turning point for the Reds' stuttering Premier League campaign.

For Martinez, the immediate focus will be on recovery before Sunday's showdown. His ability to once again keep Haaland quiet could prove decisive in determining which side of Manchester claims the bragging rights.