Manchester United star Mata can't wait to get stuck into Man City
Man Utd midfielder Juan Mata is gearing up to make an early statement as the teams of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola prepare to go head to head.
Juan Mata.
Juan Mata wants to lay down an early marker in the battle of Manchester.
The eyes of the world will be watching the Premier League contest between United and City following the appointments of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola at Old Trafford and the Etihad respectively.
The clubs meet this month as part of the International Champions Cup in China, where both clubs will also face Borussia Dortmund.
"At this stage the most important thing isn't the result but to get fit physically and mentally, but it's difficult to have a friendly game against City or teams like this," said Mata in an interview for the club website.
"It'll be special for sure. There are a lot of supporters for United and City in China. It'll be a different derby but it'll nice for the fans.
"I think it's a good experience and we'll try to win as we did last season in the States. It's always nice to win this tournament as you're up against very prestigious rivals.
"I'm sure everyone is excited in China that we are coming. I have never been before so it will be my first time and I'm looking forward to feeling all the support and love from our fans in China. I know we have a lot of fans there.
"We've been in the States twice since I've been at the club and it's been incredible. We've played against Barcelona and Real Madrid and other great teams and we had more fans than anyone.
"It's unbelievable to see how many fans we had in America and it's going to be great to see all of our supporters in Asia."
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