I agree Mata should have put more pressure on him, but in all honesty, he's a winger/forward. He's not a midfielder accustomed to making clean challenges. Surely he was thinking of not giving away another free kick in a dangerous area. Now Meireles on the other hand, should have done better putting Nani under pressure. I think Mata thought for sure being the first player behind the ball, having let Nani past, that a midfielder would come to clean up before he unleashed a shot.
Lesson learned, haha.
|