Juan Mata has inspired Melbourne Victory to a fourth consecutive Isuzu UTE A-League win, saluting 3-2 against Perth Glory at AAMI Park.
Juan Mata again provided the class and impetus for a resurgent Melbourne Victory, setting up second half goals for Nishan Velupillay and Clarismario Santos.
Mata’s midfield partner Louis D’Arrigo was the other goal scorer for Melbourne Victory, ramming home an equaliser on the stroke of half time after Trent Ostler had opened the scoring for Perth inside 12 minutes.
Victory dominated the match thereafter, to the point that Koah Ngo capitalising on Luke Amos’s workrate to make the scoreline 3-2 in the 79th minute came as a sharp surprise.
Perth largely pinned Victory back in their own half for the remaining 10 minutes of the game, but the men from Melbourne were able to see out the match unharmed to record their fourth win in a row.
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Mata was the player of the match, not only laying off two classy assists but also nearly getting on the scoresheet himself with efforts that fizzed just over the bar both sides of half time.
Mata set up Velupillay with a training ground routine that sucked the Perth defenders towards the back post and left the five time Socceroo alone to thump a deflected volley past Matt Sutton in the Perth goal.
Mata set up Santos for what would ultimately be the decisive goal after Denis Genreau harried Rhys Bozinovski off the ball on the touchline as he tried to shepherd it out for a goal kick, with the Spaniard then teeing up the Brazilian for a simple sidefooted finish.
ALEX TOBIN MEDAL VOTES:
3. Juan Mata
2. Louis D’Arrigo
1. Clerismario Santos
