72 touches; nine duels won: How good was Liverpool’s Sadio Mane in Leicester win?

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Liverpool defeated Leicester City 4-1 at Anfield this weekend.

Liverpool attacker Sadio Mane showed exactly why the Reds paid so much to prise him away from Southampton this summer as he put in another stellar performance against Leicester City.

The Reds were one of only two teams to beat the Foxes last season with a 1-0 win at Anfield, yet this time around the scoreline was more emphatic as Jurgen Klopp’s side ran out 4-1 winners.

Roberto Firmino (2), Adam Lallana and Sadio Mane were the goal scorers yet it was the latter who really stood head and shoulders above the rest with a stunning performance.

As shown by the table provided by Opta, the former Saints favourite ran Leicester ragged and contributed in a number of attacking areas over the course of the 90 minutes.

Firmino got the ball rolling after just 13 minutes, before Mane doubled Liverpool’s lead on his home debut with a simple finish after being teed up by striker Daniel Sturridge.

Jamie Vardy pulled one back for Leicester before Lallana and Firmino made sure of the points in the second half, and it was during the latter stages of the game where Mane really showed his class.

The Senegal interantional posted an impressive two shots, three chances created via key passes, five successful take-ons, 72 touches and 43 accurate passes.

But what will please boss Klopp most was his willingness to work for the team, helping out defensively with as many as nine defensive duels won and five ball recoveries.

Many questioned the fee the Reds paid for Mane, yet his performances in the opening stages of the Premier League campaign have justified his hefty price and there is still so much more to come.