Juan Mata claims to have struck up an almost telepathic understanding with Bruno Fernandes, with the Manchester United midfielders needing just “one look” to know what the other is thinking.
The Red Devils have a wealth of creative playmaking options at their disposal, with Portugal international Fernandes having added to that since his arrival in January.
Among those is Mata, a model of consistency throughout his time in England with Chelsea and United who can always be relied upon to deliver, even if he is now 32 years of age.
He put in an eye-catching performance alongside Fernandes in the 4-1 victory over Newcastle in the Red Devils’ last Premier League game and believes the pair can form a devastating partnership if given the chance to show what they are capable of.
“I enjoy playing with [Bruno] and with players like him. I think we understand football in the same way,” Mata told United Daily. “We both like to play in spaces and play and move, to create opportunities for our strikers. We understand each other really well on the pitch.
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“With one look between us, we know where we want the ball, we know where we’re going to move. Of course, it doesn’t always work but we try to play together because we understand each other really well.”
Mata was left on the bench for United’s impressive 2-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in their opening Champions League outing of 2020-21, but could come back into contention for a reunion with Chelsea at Old Trafford on Saturday.
He added: “It’s always special for me to play against them. I’ve still got many friends in there. I know Frank [Lampard], we were team-mates. I know how good he is as a manager and of course how good he was as a player.
“It will be tough because they’ve got great new players in the squad. They have a big squad, so a lot of players can play and do well.
“We need to make sure we are ready for that and that we are ready to play at our best level, like the last two games. If we play in that way, I’m sure we will be close to winning.”