BBC pundit claims Atletico were ‘intimidating’ Liverpool ace, who was ‘frustrated’ by Klopp

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Sadio Mane was substituted at the break during Liverpool’s Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid.

Stephen Warnock has claimed that the Atletico Madrid players were trying to ‘intimidate’ Sadio Mane during Liverpool’s 1-0 Champions League defeat against the Spanish side on Tuesday night.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live (18/02/2020 at 21:00 pm), Warnock feels that Mane may not have liked Jurgen Klopp’s decision to substitute him at the break or he would have been ‘frustrated’ by it, but it was a ‘clever’ call by the German.

With Liverpool losing the contest 1-0, at the time, Mane was booked during his 45 minutes, with Klopp deciding to bring him off during the break for Divock Origi. In the end, it didn’t make a difference on the result. 

Warnock shared how the ‘big picture’ needs to be looked at and how there is still the second leg at Anfield to come, which is perhaps more important than the second 45 minutes of the first leg, which could have seen him receive his marching orders. 

“I think it’ll be Sadio Mane leaving the field,” Warnock told BBC Radio 5 Live. “They have been trying to intimidate him. They tried to get him sent off. And Jurgen Klopp will know that [hence why he is substituting him at half-time]. 

“The big picture is to keep him ready for the second leg as well. I think it’s the sensible thing from Klopp. He understands that the bigger picture is over two legs and it’s not going to be decided in the second half of this football game.

“And it only takes a slip from Mane, an ill-timed challenge which sees him leave the pitch and then he’s out of the second, which would be hugely disappointing from a Liverpool point of view. So, clever management.  Sadio Mane might not like it, he might be frustrated at the decision but they are the decisions Klopp has to make and get correct.” 

Mane recently returned from injury when he came off the bench over the weekend to help the Premier League leaders record a 1-0 win over bottom-of-the-table Norwich. 

Even though the title in England’s top-flight is all but wrapped up, Mane will now be fresh for his side when they take on relegation-threatened West Ham United on Monday. 

The second leg of Liverpool’s showdown with the tough-to-crack Spanish side will take place on March 11h, as there could be the possibility that the title could be well and truly wrapped up by then.