Juan Mata’s free-kick against Sydney FC draws immediate reaction from Bruno Fernandes

Melbourne, Australia — Juan Mata rolled back the years on Saturday night, curling a sumptuous 34th-minute free-kick beyond Sydney FC’s goalkeeper to open the scoring in a pulsating A-League contest at AAMI Park. The strike, which bent around the wall and nestled inside the far post, was the former Manchester United midfielder’s fourth goal of the campaign and lifted his seasonal tally to 14 direct goal contributions.

Mata, 37, left Old Trafford in 2022 after an eight-year stint that endeared him to supporters even if his trophy haul never matched the heights of his Chelsea days, where he collected Premier League and Champions League winners’ medals. A first Australian adventure with Western Sydney Wanderers failed to ignite, but his second act at Melbourne Victory has been marked by vintage flashes of creativity and technique.

Charles Nduka, introduced from the bench, doubled Victory’s advantage in the 69th minute, yet Sydney FC clawed their way back to deny the hosts a crucial win. The result leaves Melbourne fifth on the A-League ladder after 20 rounds, with Mata having started 18 of them and averaging a goal or assist every 1.4 matches.

Back in Manchester, the Spaniard’s latest masterpiece did not go unnoticed. Bruno Fernandes, filming live on Instagram Stories, exclaimed: “Knew it. The trust I have in this guy,” while Harry Maguire replied simply: “Love this.” It is the second time this season Fernandes has publicly saluted Mata’s exploits from Down Under.

With the regular season entering its final stretch, Victory will need every ounce of Mata’s enduring class if they are to secure a play-off berth and cap the veteran’s resurgent campaign with a shot at silverware.