A second-string Manchester United squad ran out comfortable winners after four quickfire goals in 11 minutes sealed victory over AZ Alkmaar. Amongst the players who are vying for further first-team opportunities was Juan Mata. The Spanish midfielder was the lynchpin linking defence and attack for the hosts as they cruised through the final Europa League group stage game.
Defending has never been Mata’s strong suit and the lone criticism of his evening would be that he was his notoriously lacklustre self when it came to giving a helping hand at the back. Mata did not make a single contribution defensively, and his only involvement was to foul an opposition player. Still, that side of his game is not why Manchester United brought him to Old Trafford.
The reason the Spaniard was pried from Chelsea is that he is unbelievably assured in possession, and he proved that again against AZ with a 92.7 per cent success rate from his 41 passes. Two-thirds of his long balls were also accurate, with the midfielder as tidy as ever in the engine room.
Mata has occasionally been guilty of taking the easy way out, typifying the safe approach to passing, but that was not the case on Thursday evening. The Spaniard played the joint-most key passes with three, showing he still has the vision to dissect the opposition defence with a through ball when the opportunity presents itself, and he was rewarded with a pair of assists. Meanwhile, only Andreas Pereira took on more than Mata’s three shots. Though he may have sent both off target from open play, Mata coolly stepped up to dispatch a penalty and ensured a victory for the Red Devils.
Such an assured display from the Spanish international rolled back the years to when he was a crucial part of Chelsea’s squad which won the UEFA Champions League. More performances in this ilk could see him reinstated to the starting eleven in the Premier League with greater frequency.
