Since the start of this 2024-25 season, Inigo Martinez has been one of the most important players for FC Barcelona. After having a rather secondary role in the squad during the last season, the Spanish defender is now proving to be an integral part of Hansi Flick’s team.
This is particularly the case as Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen are both unavailable due to long-term injuries. Martinez also scored his first goal in a Barcelona shirt in the match against Young Boys, and things are simply looking good for the experienced defender.
His importance for the team is only now becoming prominent, but one can argue that he was also instrumental for the Blaugranes in the last season as well. This is particularly clear from the fact that Barcelona haven’t tasted defeated in 22 consecutive La Liga games while having Inigo Martinez on the pitch, as Diario AS has reported.
The former Athletic Club defender was not playing in the only game that Barcelona lost in the league this season, against Osasuna. Thus, in addition to being a leader of the defense and an absolute rock of a defender, Martinez is also proving himself to be a talisman for Barcelona.
The player with whom Barcelona have the longest streak of winning is Andres Iniesta, and the Catalans went on an astonishing 55-game winning streak while having the World Cup winner on the pitch. This is also the highest number of games a player has gone without a defeat in the history of La Liga.
After playing one of his best matches in a Barcelona shirt, Inigo Martinez asked for a substitution in the last phase of the game against Young Boys. However, as he himself explained after the match, it was only because of a discomfort, and he will be available for the upcoming game against Alaves.
If he steps on the pitch in that game, Barcelona fans can rest assured from the very start that the Blaugranes will get the full three points from that game.