Mata talks up four Villarreal players ahead of Europa League final

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Juan Mata has warned his Manchester United teammates about the quality of Villarreal ahead of the Europa League final.

Speaking to the club’s website, Mata talked up the ability of four players United will face in Gdansk tomorrow night.

Mata has no connection with the Yellow Submarine but his extensive experience of Spanish football means he’s well-placed to judge their squad.

“I played with some of their players,” said Mata of Villarreal.

“Raul Albiol, centre-back, we played together in Valencia and the national team. [Dani] Parejo, great midfielder, Paco Alcacer, striker and very good finisher.

“They’ve got a great striker in Gerardo Moreno, they’ve got quality in the midfield, a very good centre-back in Pau Torres.

“Sergio Asenjo, one of the goalkeepers, was also my team-mate in the Spanish Under-21s. I know them very well, they’ve beaten good teams in this season’s Europa League, like Arsenal.“

Mata also played under Villarreal boss Unai Emery during their time together at Valencia, and talked him up too.

Emery has won the Europa League three times in his career – with Sevilla – and tomorrow’s clash will be his fifth final.

So it’s clear United can’t afford to take this game lightly and need to be at their very best to win their first trophy since 2017.

It would be a surprise if Mata played a huge part on the pitch, but he could be vital off it in terms of making sure his teammates know what to expect.

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