The Spanish star says his team-mate is one of the top stars in the world with his most recent performance proving another example.
Juan Mata praised Manchester United team-mate Paul Pogba, calling the midfielder “one of the best” in the wake of his sensational performance against Chelsea.
The French midfielder provided a goal and created another on Monday, helping guide the Red Devils to a 2-0 win over Chelsea in their FA Cup clash.
Pogba’s efforts helped Manchester United eliminate the defending champions, booking a date with Wolves in the process.
The midfielder has now provided nine goals and six assists in 12 appearances under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Mata says his run of form only proves he’s among the top players in the game.
“Yes, he assisted the cross for the first goal, scored the second one. Even in the second half, 80, 85 minutes he was still defending, going forwards,” Mata said.
“He’s very, very complete. He’s got physique, he’s got quality, he’s got a pass, he can go box to box.
“He’s one of the best. Today he showed why.”
The win over Chelsea came in the wake of a 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain int eh Champions League round of 16, putting the Red Devils’ Champions League hopes in danger.
Mata says the win over Chelsea was an ideal bounce-back for a team that recently tasted defeat for the first time since Solskjaer took over.
“I think it was the perfect reaction to our defeat to Paris Saint-Germain,” he said.
“It’s never easy to come to Stamford Bridge, to win against Chelsea, to not concede any goals, to play some good football.
“I think it was a very good evening for us and gives us a lot of confidence for the next games.”
Man Utd will face Wolves in their next FA Cup clash while the club also focuses on pushing for the top four and the Champions League spot that comes with it
Next up is this Sunday’s match against Liverpool and, with the recent run of results, Mata says the team believes it can still compete in the league, FA Cup and Champions League.
“Obviously we had a difficult result against PSG, but we still believe we can come back,” he said.
“In the Premier League, our main target is to get top four, after a very good run of results. One or two months ago it was pretty impossible to get where we are now, so we want to keep that position.
“And in the FA Cup, we’re close to Wembley. So hopefully we can go to Wembley again with all our fans, because it’s a very nice feeling.”
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