Juan Mata makes debut at new club in 2-1 defeat to A-League rivals

Former Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has made his debut for Australian outfit Western Sydney Wanderers over the weekend.

The 36-year-old joined the A-League side in September following the expiry of his deal with J1 League outfit Vissel Kobe.

Mata, who made over 250 appearances for Manchester United after joining the club from Chelsea in January 2014, made his debt for Western Sydney Wanderers in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Not too early for us.

After being initially named as a substitute in Alen Stajcic’s side, Mata was called into action with 28 minutes left on the clock.

Western Sydney Wanderers equalised prior to Mata’s introduction and he was seen celebrating the goal jumping jubilantly.

And Juan Mata LOVED IT!#WSWvSYD pic.twitter.com/DIboLTW2CV

— Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) October 19, 2024

Mata completed 85% of his passes, created two chances and made four matches into the final third after coming off the bench. It was an impressive contribution for his first outing in a new environment.

It didn’t end on a positive note, as Patryk Klimala’s second-half strike secured a 2-1 win for Sydney FC.

Mata has suffered many setbacks throughout his career in Europe and beyond, so his experience will be key for the A-League side throughout the campaign.

It goes without saying their players will love playing with Mata and being his team-mate.

Speaking about his move earlier this year, Mata said (via BBC Sport): “I’m really excited to join the Western Sydney Wanderers, the only Australian team to ever win the Asian Champions League, and I cannot wait to arrive and train with the team to prepare for the season.

“I’m feeling grateful and excited for this new adventure, and looking forward to trying to win another championship in a different league.”