Porto striker Jackson Martinez put in a fantastic performance against Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash, with the Colombian international making a notable contribution as the Dragons stunned the German Bundesliga side 3-1 at the Estádio do Dragão.
Inside of 90 seconds, Martinez drew a foul from Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who was fortunate to not have been sent off, before the spot-kick was dispatched by teammate Ricardo Quaresma. The 28-year-old went creator-turned-goalscorer in netting Porto’s third goal, to make it 3-1 in the 65th minute, but his overall performance was impressive.
“These were a couple of difficult weeks for me, as I did not knew if I would be able to play. It is never easy when we return after an injury, but I prepared myself for this moment and everything went great. I’m still not 100 percent fit but with the help of my teammates I was able to take this effort. This win fills us with joy, but we know that it does not define who will go through to the next round. We still have to play another match that will be much harder than this one,” he said, following the Bayern victory.
Against the German giants, no player won more aerial duels (3), no player was fouled more often (4) and no player had more shots (2). Martinez was outstanding, and has been all season without getting the European recognition he perhaps deserves. The 6 foot 1 inch striker was playing in the Mexican league only three years ago, but now finds himself linked with some of the biggest football clubs in the world.
Arsenal and Manchester United are said to be two of many clubs interested in his services, and with Martinez having continued his prolific run of form in front of goal in every season in Portugal, a big-money move surely awaits. Porto have certainly done well to hold on to him this long, considering Martinez has now bagged 87 goals in 126 games. This summer, he will be heavily coveted, and it’s been a long time coming.
Porto paid £8M to sign him from Chiapas (Jaguares) in 2012. With the striker proving his worth, the transfer turned out to be a successful move and the Portuguese giants are looking forward in anticipation of receiving considerable offers for Jackson. The experienced forward was impressive during last summer’s World Cup, scoring two goals in three appearances in Brazil,. He has delivered goals throughout his career. It seems his time has come to play for an elite club in one of Europe’s top leagues.
Is Jackson Martinez destined for a big-money move in the summer?
