This Saturday against Chelsea, he will try to win the FA Cup for the third time. He has won the 4 finals played at Wembley. He hasn’t lost an FA Cup match since April 2013. He has scored 9 goals and given 11 assists in 26 games played on this tournament.
Juan Mata has a date this Saturday at Wembley, where he can increase his spectacular track record. At 30 years old, the International Spaniard has won, among other titles, a Euro, a World Cup, a Champions League, two Europa Leagues and two FA Cups. This last competition, the eldest in the world, is the one at stake this weekend. Antonio Conte’s Chelsea will be in front.
In Juan’s case, it’s a special context as he has to confront his former team in a stadium in which he has always won. The Asturian has won all 4 finals played there (FA Cup 2012 and 2016, Community Shield 2016 and EFL Cup 2017). A streak that he wants to extend lifting this special title for the third time in his career.
Another positive and optimistic factor is his relation with the FA Cup. At this tournament, Juan has a streak of 13 consecutive wins. He hasn’t lost a match since April 14, 2013 (Semifinal against Manchester City). Since then, his teams haven’t experienced a defeat whenever he is in the pitch.
In terms of offensive production, it’s the competition that best suits him. He has scored 9 goals and given 11 assists in 26 matches. He scored in the 2016 Final against Crystal Palace and was named ‘Man of the Match’ in the 2012 Final against Liverpool. On this FA Cup edition, United’s number 8 has been a starter in 4 out of 5 matches played by the Red Devils, a team that aspires to close the 2017-18 season with plenty of happiness.
