Sadio Mane increases his Champions League goal-scoring tally
In Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over Benfica in the Champions league last Tuesday, Sadio Mane was able to overtake Stephen Gerrard to become Liverpool’s second-top scorer in the Champions League. Just in the 34th minute of the quarter-final first leg encounter, Mane hit the net with a goal giving the Reds a two-goal advantage after finishing an assist from Luis Diaz.
Sadio Mane’s goal was the Senegalese’s 22nd in the Champions League, surpassing that of Stephen Gerrard who has scored 21 goals. However, Mohamed Salah is Liverpool’s highest goalscorer in the competition with 33 goals to his credit. In the game against Benfica last night, Ibrahima Konate also gave Jurgen Klopp’s men a 17th-minute lead at Estadio da Luz after he was assisted by Andrew Robertson.
The Mali prospect has now scored his first Champions League goal (in his 12th appearance) and his first goal in all competitions for Liverpool. Just four minutes into the second half, Darwin Nunez reduced the goal debt for the hosts with a beautiful curler beyond the reach of Alisson Becker.
Luiz Diaz’s strike three minutes before full-time made sure that Liverpool secured a comprehensive away triumph in Portugal, with a place in the last four their next target in the competition. Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah were replaced after playing for 61 minutes with Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota respectively.
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Looking closely at Mane, his joining of Liverpool in 2016 from Southampton on a five-year contract for £34 million – made him the most expensive African player in history at that time – the reigning African Player of the Year has been a key figure in the Reds’ squad.
His marvelous performances assisted the club end their 30-year-old Premier League jinx as well as helped them win the UEFA Champions League, Super Cup and the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup. In the 2018-19 season, Sadio Mane shared the Premier League’s Golden Boot with teammate Salah alongside ex-Arsenal skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as he scored 22 goals.
This season, Mane has scored 15 times across all outings and he would be looking forward to adding to his goal tally when Liverpool travel to the Etihad Stadium for a date with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on April 10th.
