Overview
- Melbourne Victory defeated Melbourne City 3-1 at AAMI Park on Feb. 21, with Juan Mata scoring twice and assisting the late third.
- Mata opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a first-time chip from around 40 yards over goalkeeper Patrick Beach, before Max Caputo equalised for City.
- He restored Victory’s lead in the 64th minute with a strike from just outside the box, then released Clarismario Santos for a stoppage-time clincher.
- The result lifted Victory to fifth in the A-League on 27 points, leaving City seventh on 22 after a shot count of 19–6 in Victory’s favor.
- Mata now has three goals and a league-leading nine assists this season, with Diles calling him the team’s ‘piece of the puzzle’ and Bruno Fernandes posting “What a player” and “Special player.”