Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez heaped praise on midfielder Youri Tielemans following his sublime performance against Sabah in the Champions League.
The Red Devils returned to the elite European competition after two seasons. They were favourites to beat Sabah at Old Trafford and secured a convincing win to start the league phase.
The goals were shared with Matheus Cunha, Bruno Fernandes, Benjamin Sesko and Martinez finding the back of the net. United put the game beyond doubt with a 3-0 lead at half-time.
Several players stood out on the night, including Tielemans. The Belgian star played only 45 minutes against Sabah, but made his mark with a superb assist for Fernandes’ goal (2-0).
The former Aston Villa man delivered a terrific swivel assist on the run for Fernandes. He was substituted at the break, possibly with the Premier League derby against Manchester City in mind.
Shortly after the game, Tielemans posted some pictures on Instagram with the caption: ‘UCL nights just hit different’.
Martinez was one of the United stars to praise him, he commented: ‘What a player.’
Tielemans has fared well alongside Kobbie Mainoo in the heart of United’s midfield in recent matches, and yesterday was definitely his best moment in the club’s shirt since his summer move.
The Belgian had a passing accuracy of 98 percent with 100 percent aerial duels won (2/2). He also made three recoveries and capped the performance with an assist for Fernandes before the interval.
He has established himself as the regular partner for Mainoo at least in the short term. Tielemans will be looking forward to impressing against Man City when they visit Old Trafford on Sunday.
United are already playing catch-up in the league with a five-point deficit to the Cityzens for the top spot, and Sunday’s game offers the opportunity to beat their arch-rivals to kickstart their season.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com