Topics: League Cup, Manchester United, Hull City, Juan Mata
The Spanish midfielder was crucial for the Red Devils, scoring the opening goal for Mourinho's men right after the break.

There's no doubt about Juan Mata's desire to shine, since most of the time he's able to do so under pressure.

The Spaniard became influential for Manchester United during the first leg of the League Cup semis against Hull City, scoring the first goal of the evening after a header by Henrikh Mkhitaryan. What stands out about Mata's performance, is the fact that he managed to score the same amount of goals as he did with Chelsea, even after being discarded by Mourinho during his stint with the Blues.

Mata's goal tally has an added bonus for Manchester United, as we can see below.

Mata's goal helped Manchester United in their quest for a ninth straight win in all competitions, while cementing the team's chances of success in the tournament.

Here's some fan praise about a rather underrated player, but one that likes to deliver when it matters the most. Some of those comments are rather cheeky.