MANE THE MAIN MAN
THEY could not say there hadn’t been a warning. At the same end of the stadium 20 months earlier, Sadio Mane had made fools of Bayern Munich defenders and conjured a clipped left-footed finish.
It was in the Audi Cup, the biennial tournament Bayern stage, and Liverpool were warming up for the 2017-18 campaign. The narrative of the summer had revolved around Philippe Coutinho’s future and Mohamed Salah’s arrival. Mane, by contrast, was under the radar.
But not for his team-mates. In the town of Rottach-Egern, Liverpool’s players became aware of how much Mane had improved since he joined in the summer of 2016. In one training session before they faced Bayern in late July, the Senegal flyer’s pace, power and finishing ability left team-mates open-mouthed.
He has been doing it ever since. Mane was fabulous in the 3-0 win over the embarrassed hosts and, returning to the scene on Wednesday, he was even better, blossoming into a world-class performer.
He scored at will on the road to Kiev last season — a hat-trick in Porto, goals against Manchester City and in both legs of the semi against Roma, then the equaliser against Real Madrid in the final.
The thing that makes Mane so crucial to Liverpool’s forward line is his speed and unpredictability. He can play on either flank, he can shoot with both feet and his skill, as showcased by the sublime way he cushioned a ball from Virgil van Dijk to hoodwink Manuel Neuer, is exceptional.
‘ Sadio’s first goal was very naughty!’ said James Milner. ‘The way he took it was ridiculous. That’s the quality he’s got.’
Gini Wijnaldum went further, saying: ‘This is his best season with us. He is so important with his goals and assists. He has a big influence on us winning.’
Mane has hit the target in his last six appearances at Anfield and kept Liverpool in the hunt for the two biggest prizes.
‘His quality and importance are so obvious that I don’t really have to speak about it,’ said Klopp.