Former Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has issued a playful challenge to his old teammate Bruno Fernandes after scoring a spectacular free-kick in the A-League. Mata's goal helped Melbourne Victory secure a 2-2 draw against Sydney FC on Saturday, with the Spanish star netting in the 34th minute to open the scoring.
Mata's Free-Kick Draws Attention from Old Colleagues
Following the match, Mata revealed that Fernandes and current United defender Harry Maguire had watched his goal via Instagram. Fernandes shared a video of the pair celebrating the strike, captioning it with praise for Mata's accuracy from the set-piece. When asked about the post, Mata expressed his delight at their support and directly challenged Fernandes to score a similar goal in his next appearance.
Match Details and Aftermath
In the game at Allianz Stadium, Charles Nduka added a second goal for Melbourne Victory, giving them a 2-0 lead. However, Sydney FC fought back with strikes from Apostolos Stamatelopoulos and Ahmet Arslan to share the points. Mata described the result as bittersweet, noting that his team felt close to victory after leading by two goals away from home.
Since leaving Manchester United in 2022, Mata has played for Galatasaray, Vissel Kobe in Japan, and Western Sydney Wanderers before joining Melbourne Victory last year. The draw leaves Victory fifth in the A-League standings, four points behind third-placed Sydney FC, with Newcastle Jets leading the table by 11 points.
