VIDEO: 'What a player!' - Juan Mata stuns Bruno Fernandes by scoring outrageous double for Melbourne Victory

Mata joined Melbourne Victory in September after departing the Western Sydney Wanderers and helped his new side to a famous win on Saturday. The former Manchester United star bagged a brace in a 3-1 victory and caught the eye with his goals. The first broke the deadlock on 20 minutes and saw Mata steal possession near the centre circle and immediately send an audacious long-range effort looping over the goalkeeper. Mata then made it 2-1 in the second half with another powerful strike from the edge of the box before grabbing an assist for the Victory's third of the night.

Mata's goal drew praise from Fernandes. The Manchester United captain posted footage of the goal on Instagram Stories along with the message: "Juan Mata, what a player!"

The 37-year-old's brace continues his fine form in Australia. Ahead of the match, Mata had been named Shark Player of the Month for January after a fan vote following a run of form that had seen him bag five assists in five games for the Victory.

Mata spoke to the media after the game about how he's enjoying his football as he heads towards his 38th birthday. He said: "It's been a very enjoyable night. To be able to play at his level, the whole team, derbies are special. [The goal] was instinct. I saw the goalkeeper was a bit out of his goal. Sometimes you try this and it goes for a corner but this time it went in. I think we are showing up when it matters against the big teams and today it was a very solid game. We started well from the beginning with intensity, creating chances and then we could kill the game in the second half. We are very happy and very proud.

The veteran also admitted he's loving his football right now, adding: "I think it's about motivation. Football, many times, is a state of mind. I feel at home here, fantastic people, here. The more I play, the better I feel. I think that's great news at this stage of my career."