Liverpool strolled into the knockout rounds of the Champions League for the first time since 2009 as a rapturous Anfield crowd were sent into seventh heaven with a mesmerising display of attacking football.
Jurgen Klopp’s hosts were excellent right from the start, with Philippe Coutinho converting a fourth-minute penalty after Mohamed Salah was hauled down inside the box. Two more in the space of three minutes – Coutinho’s second was an excellent team move, and Roberto Firmino – effectively ended the contest, but already qualified Liverpool were not done there.
Four more goals followed in the second-half as Klopp’s men went for the kill. Sadio Mane got in on the act just after the break and then added a second – in between Coutinho sealing his hat-trick. And Salah had the final say as he rifled in number seven to send out a message that the Reds are back at Europe’s top table, and back with a bang.
Here, we analyse the performance of Liverpool’s Mane man.
BASIC STATS
Goals – 2
Shots – 5
Shots on target – 2
Touches – 65
Key passes – 2
Dribbles – 2
Dispossessed – 1
Aerials won – 0
EFFECTIVENESS
This was Mane’s eighth game back following a month out with injury, and he had only found the net prior to the match in one of the previous seven – gradually finding his way back to both form and fitness.
And while Coutinho, Salah and Firmino swarmed all over Spartak Moscow from the off, it looked as if the Senegal man would struggle to make an impact.
That all changed in the 15th minute when he orchestrated the second goal, surging from his own half to feed Salah, who then found Firmino who teed up Coutinho for a sublime team goal.
Spartak could barely get into the game, which became even harder with the second goal the cue for Mane to take charge. He hugged the right touchline and constantly drifted in from it, causing headache for the visitors’ defenders. He clipped in to Firmino for him to kill the game.
Spartak might have hoped the hosts would then sit back and conserve their energy, but Mane seemed determined to make up for his slow start. The second-half wasn’t even two minutes old before he thumped in a fourth from James Milner’s cross, picking up a good position at the back post.
He netted again late on to make it six, showing his boundless energy is a weapon in defence too as he dispossessed a defender before freeing Sturridge down the right. He then had the legs to get into the box and on the end of Sturridge’s delivery to prod in.
With a busy Christmas period on the horizon for Liverpool and the latter rounds of the Champions League to come in the New Year, Mane looks like he is approaching something akin to his best form at exactly the right time for his club.
Mane and Coutinho were in scintillating form.
KEY MOMENTS
15th min – quiet up until this point and his part is understated, but the wideman sparks Liverpool’s second goal, which essentially kills the game off with 75 minutes still remaining. He drives from halfway and spots the fine run of Salah. The Egyptian then feeds a ball through to Firmino who rolls it across goal to Coutinho who calmly sidefoots home. Beautiful goal.
19th min (ASSIST) – Wow. What a start from the rampant Reds. Mane is quickly into his stride, the Senegalese surges forward and clips a cross into the box. It strikes Spartak defender Tasci on the arm but Firmino isn’t appealing for a second penalty, stabbing home with the outside of his right boot.
47th min (GOAL) – Well, it took a while for the Silky Senegalese to get into the game, but he has grown into it and delivers a sumptuous volley to signify Liverpool’s utter dominance. Half-time substitute James Milner gets free down the left and arcs a ball into the box, Mane positions himself and thunders an emphatic side-footed effort past Aleksandr Selikhov.
76th min (GOAL) – Misery mounts for Moscow as Mane nets his second of the night. He initiates the move by winning possession in midfield and going on the attack. He spreads the ball wide to Daniel Sturridge before hooking in the England man’s centre.
VERDICT – 9/10
The Senegal flyer has a flash of bright blond colouring in his no doubt expensive hair do, and despite Philippe Coutinho scoring a hat-trick, the former Saints star was not about to be outshone by the Brazilian.
The Reds roared into the game from the off, and although it took Mane 15 minutes to find his feet, his contribution was telling. Starting the move for the second, he provided the assist for their third before getting in on the act in the second-half with a brace in an all-round sparkling display.
