Mata assist hat-trick charms Australia | OneFootball

Juan Mata, 37, has rediscovered his spark in Australia, his assist hat-trick in Melbourne Victory’s 4-0 win over Sydney FC signalling a turning point.

According to Superdeporte, his arrival has lifted both club and league. He has one goal and seven assists in 14 matches, the competition’s leading provider.

Against Sydney he dictated tempo and space, splitting the defence with disguised passes. He also created one with his back to goal and another from a pinpoint corner.

In Australia he is known as El Mago, admired for touch and vision. Former Stoke City goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen has described the same Premier League version, sharp in tight spaces with superb awareness.

Mata emerged from Real Madrid’s academy, blossomed at Valencia, then won the Champions League and Europa League with Chelsea. He later anchored Manchester United’s creativity before spells at Galatasaray in Türkiye, Vissel Kobe and Western Sydney Wanderers.

Only once before had he registered three assists in a game, for Valencia on 28 September 2008 in a 4-2 win over Deportivo La Coruña, when he also scored. Experience now brings serenity, but the competitive edge remains.

His influence reaches beyond numbers, raising team-mates and drawing fans, an ambassador for European craft in Oceania.

Source: Superdeporte