Senegal hitman Sadio Mane on Wednesday night fired Liverpool to a firm position in the Uefa Champions League, UCL, First Leg Semi Final against Spanish Outfit Villareal in Arnfield.
A deflected Jordan Henderson cross and a Sadio Mane strike were enough for the Mersersiders to take command of the game with a two-goal win.
The hosts were frustrated in the first half when Sadio Mane mishandled a Mohamed Salah cross, spurning a half-opening opportunity, and Thiago Alcantara’s long-range shot cannoned back off the crossbar.
It was a completely different story after the break; Fabinho’s stabbed finish was ruled out for offside, but Henderson’s deflected cross looped over Geronimo Rulli in the 53rd minute – in what was officially a Pervis Estupinan own goal – before Mane doubled the lead two minutes later after Salah’s assist. Just after the hour mark, Andy Robertson thought he’d added a third, but it was called offside once more.
Jurgen Klopp‘s team are still a long way from reaching their third Champions League final in five seasons, but they are already clear favorites.
Liverpool put up a convincing, dominating performance, and they remain on course for an unprecedented quadruple.
The outcome, however, is what matters, and Liverpool will undoubtedly be backed to complete the task in six days, even if they must first negotiate a difficult Premier League journey to Newcastle on Saturday lunchtime.
Sadio Mané is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League club Liverpool and the Senegal national team. Mané finished fourth for the 2019 Ballon d’Or, and in the award for the Best FIFA Men’s Player he ranked fifth in 2019 and fourth in 2020.
The wideman has scored 23 UCL goals for Liverpool in 55 appearances and has scored over 150 career goals in joining from Southampton in 2016 for £34 million.