Alexis Mac Allister has revealed why he teased Lisandro Martinez after the Manchester United defender scored against Liverpool.
The pair know all about each other thanks to their time together with the Argentina national team. They had to put their friendship to one side during Sunday’s Premier League clash at Anfield.
And rather than Mac Allister getting on the scoresheet, Martinez unexpectedly popped up with a goal just after half-time to give the visitors the lead. League leaders Liverpool instantly responded through Cody Gakpo before Mohamed Salah completed the comeback from the spot.
But it was youngster Amad that equalised late on to secure a crucial point for United. That left Mac Allister clearly frustrated at dropping two points, having been in a winning position, but he still enjoyed a light-hearted moment at the expense of his compatriot and club rival Martinez.
“I have a very good relationship with Licha [Martinez],” Mac Allister said in his post-match interview with TNT Sports Mexico, before adding with a chuckle: “It’s incredible because he doesn’t score a goal against anyone, but he scores a goal against us. So nothing, I teased him a bit.
“I’ll probably stop to say hello and chat for a while. And well, I wish him the best. I knew that his wife was pregnant, so I hope he comes back full of joy, good health and that they can be very happy as a family.”
Martinez first came through at Newell’s Old Boys – the club famed for being Lionel Messi’s first team – while Mac Allister made a name for himself at Diego Maradona’s beloved Argentinos Juniors. They both broke into the Argentina squad in 2019, having already made their respective moves to Europe.
They have since won the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa America together, with Martinez also a part of the 2021 Copa America-winning squad. And they were joined by yet another Argentine on the pitch during Sunday’s fixture, with youngster Alejandro Garnacho coming on in the 72nd minute to set up Amad’s crucial goal.
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