Juan Mata's A-League Men revival might just be the story the competition needs.
Once among world football's elite playmakers -- a World Cup and European Championship winner with Spain, a UEFA Champions League medallist with Chelsea and later a star at Manchester United -- Mata now finds himself in the twilight of his career, rediscovering purpose in Melbourne.
On name alone, he sits in the A-League's pantheon of marquee imports: just below Alessandro Del Piero, Robbie Fowler and Dwight Yorke, but ahead of almost everyone else.
Yet his first Australian campaign was anything but glamorous. One goal in 23 games for the Western Sydney Wanderers, often played out of position, and just 82 minutes across his final 10 matches told the story of a player misused and underappreciated.
But football loves a comeback, and Saturday night in Perth delivered one. Making his first start for Melbourne Victory, Mata glided through midfield, dictated the tempo and sealed a 2-0 win with a crisp far-post finish.
After a horror year, he may have finally found a coach who trusts him. Arthur Diles is giving the 37-year-old freedom and belief -- and, in turn, gifting the league something it sorely needs: a genuine headline act.
Adelaide United
Stocks Up: There's plenty to like about Adelaide's approach under new coach Airton Andrioli. Even after back-to-back losses, the Reds look to be building a clear attacking identity, with their fluid passing patterns again on show against Auckland. Twenty-year-old Luka Jovanovic's equalizer -- a clinical, composed finish just before half-time -- was the mark of a player who could become lethal if his trajectory continues, and a ready-made replacement for last year's top scorer Archie Goodwin. Craig Goodwin, meanwhile, was again Adelaide's creative heartbeat, with his deliveries and set-pieces consistently dangerous.
Stocks Down: Missed chances continue to haunt Andrioli's side. After wasting a string of opportunities in last week's defeat to Macarthur, the Reds again lacked a killer edge in Auckland -- managing just four shots on target from 10 attempts. Defensive lapses at key moments proved costly, with Louis Verstraete's winner coming from a second-phase rebound Adelaide that should have dealt with initially. In both defeats, Andrioli has admitted he's "disappointed" with the results, but insisted that his side controlled portions of the game. A massive game looms this weekend at home against the Wanderers.
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Auckland FC
Stocks Up: Top of the table after three rounds, Auckland are showing no signs of second-season syndrome and look like early benchmark-setters once again. Sam Cosgrove's first A-League goal -- a towering header to open the scoring -- finally got the big English striker rolling, while Verstraete's late strike capped another composed performance. Jesse Randall's pace and directness kept Adelaide guessing and delighted a crowd of more than 11,000. In a league littered with questionable expansion calls, Auckland are the exception.
Stocks Down: The only concern was captain Hiroki Sakai hobbling off with a hamstring injury in the first half. The Japan international has been a defensive anchor, and missing him for next week's New Zealand Derby -- confirmed by Steve Corica -- is a major blow. For a side built on defense, letting Auckland back into the game briefly through a Jovanovic goal would have annoyed Corica.
Brisbane Roar
Stocks Up: A second home clean sheet under Michael Valkanis confirmed that while Brisbane's gritty new identity won't win over neutrals anytime soon, it's effective. Center back Lucas Herrington, 18, again led a disciplined back line that frustrated the defending champions and looks ready for his January move to the Colorado Rapids in MLS. This is the kind of game in which Brisbane would have crumbled last season -- they lost all three meetings with City -- which Valkanis will point to as progress.
Stocks Down: The defensive resolve is clear, but attacking fluency isn't. Brisbane's physicality -- three yellow cards on the night -- again bordered on "dirty." More concerning was the lack of creativity and absence of clear-cut chances, as the Roar endured long spells without possession in a contest that was a hard watch for just over 5,000 fans. That number alone suggests resilience won't put bums on seats. Valkanis' side can grind out results, but how long can they live on the edge -- hoping to nick a goal and hold on -- before it catches up with them?
Central Coast Mariners
Stocks Up: Andrew Redmayne rolled back the years with a goalkeeping masterclass that single-handedly earned Central Coast a point. The 36-year-old produced a string of top saves to deny Wellington's Carlo Armiento in a cat-and-mouse duel that the keeper ultimately won. Written off before the season -- like the Mariners -- Redmayne has quickly silenced doubters, saving a penalty in Round 1 that delivered their only win and now rescuing a point against the Nix. Sabit Ngor's first A-League goal was another bright spark for Warren Moon's side.
Stocks Down: Without Redmayne's early-season heroics, the Mariners -- who conceded 22 shots at home -- would be in dire straits. For all their effort, Central Coast lack a striker capable of finishing chances, managing only two shots on target all afternoon. Miguel Di Pizio has the potential to help solve their attacking woes, but too often -- as in this game -- the 19-year-old mercurial attacking midfielder drifted to the fringes. Moon's side continues to battle, but without more end product, they risk undoing the progress made so far.
Macarthur FC
Stocks Up: Harry Sawyer's towering second-minute header against the Wanderers -- his first of the campaign -- underlined an aerial threat that should again be a weapon for Macarthur this season. Socceroos midfielder Anthony Caceres dictated the tempo throughout and looks to have slotted seamlessly into life at the Bulls alongside Luke Brattan. And with more than 7,600 fans -- more than double their Round 1 turnout -- Campbelltown finally felt alive again, proof that the league's western Sydney rivalry can still draw a crowd -- and a glimpse of what the competition could be in a perfect world.
Stocks Down: In what could develop into a theme across the competition, finishing was an issue. Sime Grzan and Luke Vickery both missed gilt-edged chances to seal the derby, while fatigue from Asian commitments showed as the Bulls faded late. More concerning, though, was the sheer volume of chances conceded -- 25 shots faced at home tells its own story. For all of Macarthur's attacking promise, their defensive shape wobbled under pressure, and dropping points from a winning position will sting. With another Asian fixture looming Thursday, Mile Sterjovski's biggest battle this week may be recovery.
Melbourne City
Stocks Up: The return of Socceroos forward Andrew Nabbout -- making his first A-League appearance in 361 days after rupturing his ACL last November -- was undoubtedly the highlight of a dour encounter with Brisbane. The 32-year-old looked sharp in his 16-minute cameo for Aurelio Vidmar's side, who are still unbeaten. With Mathew Leckie under an injury cloud -- more on that below -- keeping Nabbout fit could be crucial for the reigning champions' title defense.
Stocks Down: Leckie's injury was the last thing City needed. The 34-year-old was subbed at half-time and later seen on the bench with ice on his hamstring -- a worrying sight for both club and country given his long history of soft-tissue problems. Vidmar said postgame that Leckie was "complaining of tightness." With a host of players already in the treatment room, everyone involved with the club will be hoping Leckie's injury is minor.
Melbourne Victory
Stocks Up: Mata, playing as a No. 10, was the story of the night, as the former Chelsea and Manchester United star marked his first A-League start for Victory with a tidy far-post finish to seal a 2-0 win against Perth. There were doubts over the World Cup winner's ability to contribute after last year's horror show at the Wanderers, but if Diles can keep the 37-year-old fit, and tap into even a fraction of his quality, Mata will be a weapon this season. A second goal of the season for Keegan Jelacic rounded out a perfect response to last week's thrashing at the hands of Newcastle.
Mata makes his mark 🔥
— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) October 31, 2025
Victory double their advantage through Juan Mata, as the new signing notches a goal in his first start for @gomvfc
Watch #PERvMVC live on Paramount+ 📺 pic.twitter.com/2s95rLFLAe
Stocks Down: Victory were efficient rather than dominant. An away win in Perth is always a good result, but some sloppy second-half defending will concern Diles ahead of next week's Melbourne Derby. After starting the opening game of the season in Auckland, forward Clarismario Santos Rodrigues appears to have slipped down the pecking order -- hooked at half-time against Newcastle before coming off the bench in Perth. The Brazilian now looks locked in a battle with young gun Matthew Grimaldi for minutes.
Newcastle Jets
Stocks Up: Newcastle stuck to their attacking principles and kept trying to play through the lines and attack Sydney, even when the game was lost. Ben Gibson's early strike showed flashes of the attacking interplay that's become a trademark of new coach Mark Milligan, and fans can at least cling to the promise of free-flowing football. With a low-budget squad devoid of any serious headline names, Milligan's success will hinge on getting the best out of players like Gibson and Lachie Rose, who battled hard up front.
Stocks Down: For all their attacking ambition, the Jets are leaking goals at an alarming rate. That's nine conceded in three matches -- and while Milligan's commitment to open football is admirable, there's little sign of a Plan B when opponents exploit the space behind. To make matters worse, promising 19-year-old winger Oscar Fryer looks set for another lengthy spell on the sidelines with a suspected ACL tear -- the same injury that saw him miss all of last season.
Perth Glory
Stocks Up: In a chaotic week that saw head coach David Zdrilic sacked after a winless start and John Aloisi turn down the chance to replace him, there were at least small signs of progress under interim manager Adam Griffiths, who has vowed to bring back an attractive brand of football. Perth enjoyed 57% possession against Victory as Adam Taggart led the line, firing eight of their 16 shots. And while ex-Rangers striker Tom Lawrence didn't find the net on debut, simply getting him on the field was a positive. Perth are desperate for goals and someone to ease Taggart's burden.
Stocks Down: While Griffiths wants to bring the good times back to Perth -- and has told his players he doesn't mind if they lose the ball trying to play his way -- early signs point to more pain for Glory's defense, which has now conceded eight goals in three games. There was hope a new coach could spark a turnaround for out-of-form center back Brian Kaltak, but his early giveaway led to Victory's opener. For all the talk of attacking intent, Perth created little and find themselves where they left off last season: anchored to the bottom of the table.
Sydney FC
Stocks Up: Al Hassan Toure's hat trick in Newcastle was a timely reminder of how quickly things can change in football. Lambasted by Sydney fans for a wasteful display against Central Coast last weekend, Toure stole the show with three superbly taken goals in transition. Joe Lolley oozed class throughout and looks revitalized following Douglas Costa's departure -- back in his favored right-wing role and very much the main man again. With two straight wins and a front line finally clicking, Sydney look sharp, hungry and well-coached -- and now sit second on the table.
Stocks Down: It's hard to nitpick after a 4-1 away rout, but Víctor Campuzano still flattered to deceive. The Spaniard's movement was sharp, yet his timing was sometimes off -- a disallowed goal for offside summing up his evening, and perhaps opening the door for Patrick Wood, who has scored in consecutive games and could earn a start up front. While Harrison Devenish-Meares had a decent game and looks like he's improving with every game, he should have done better with Newcastle's opener.
Wellington Phoenix
Stocks Up: Giancarlo "Chiefy" Italiano looks to have learned from last year's struggles. Wellington's rediscovered defensive edge -- just four goals conceded in three games -- has been the foundation of their strong start, echoing the structure that took them to second a couple of seasons ago. The numbers tell the story: they've given up only nine shots on target across the opening rounds. Up front, Ifeanyi Eze is quickly making a name for himself. The Nigerian striker's early opener in Gosford made it two in three games, and he looks a real find. Unbeaten and up to fourth, the Nix suddenly look like top-six material.
Stocks Down: Despite their dominance, Wellington's wastefulness in front of goal proved costly. Armiento dazzled with his pace and footwork, constantly creating danger but failing to finish any of the chances he carved out himself -- the kind of performance that excites fans but can drive managers to distraction. With the Kiwi Classico against Auckland looming as the side's biggest test next weekend, Chiefy will be kicking himself -- and maybe Armiento -- for his side's failure to secure three points.
Western Sydney Wanderers
Stocks Up: There were signs of life in the Wanderers attack on Saturday. Anthony Pantazopoulos' unlikely scoring streak against Macarthur rolled on -- three career goals, all against the same opponent. Alen Stajcic's side improved when he drifted wider late, which ultimately led to the equalizer. Dylan Scicluna's cameo in midfield changed the tempo -- his energy and forward passing gave Wanderers a lift -- and has given Stajcic a serious decision to make ahead of next week. Kosta Barbarouses, who provided the cross for the goal, continues to defy father time. The 35-year-old remains central to New Zealand's World Cup hopes and said the late comeback could be a "stepping stone" for momentum.
Stocks Down: Brandon Borrello's finishing is becoming a concern. The Socceroos winger missed two real chances, and while he'll back himself to bounce back, competition for attacking spots in Tony Popovic's World Cup squad is fierce. To stay in the mix, he needs to start taking these opportunities. After a brutal opening three fixtures -- facing last year's champions (City), premiers (Auckland) and now the Bulls -- the Wanderers emerge winless with just two points and two goals, sitting 11th on the table. Touted by some as contenders before the season, early signs suggest Stajcic already has his work cut out for him.
Socceroos World Cup bolter watch
Stocks Up: It's been seven years since Nabbout -- then a genuine bolter -- started the Socceroos' opening match of the 2018 World Cup against a French side boasting Kylian Mbappé, N'Golo Kanté and Antoine Griezmann. Now, after making his first A-League appearance in nearly a year on the weekend, could history repeat? With Popovic still searching for a reliable No. 9, Nabbout's fitness and form could yet force his way back into the national team conversation.
Stocks Down: Elsewhere, the forward picture remains muddled. His work-rate has never been in doubt, but with no goals in three 90-minute outings for Western Sydney, Borrello will need to rediscover his finishing touch to stay on Popovic's radar. Midfield, though, is looking increasingly competitive. Caceres continues to shine at Macarthur and looks a strong chance to book his ticket to North America, while Denis Genreau's composure and control at Victory have him in the frame.
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