Sadio Mane came off the bench to fire Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool ever closer to Premier League glory with a 1-0 win at Carrow Road.
Sadio Mane scored a ‘world-class’ winner in Liverpool’s hard-earned triumph over Norwich City on Saturday, according to a charismatic German coach. These are not the words of Jurgen Klopp, however, but Daniel Farke instead.
After almost a month out of the side with injury, a Senegalese star returned to action in style at Carrow Road.
Mane came off the bench with runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool struggling to break down a well-drilled Norwich defence. But, after taking down a Jordan Henderson chip with the touch of a ballerina before drilling a thumping strike into Tim Krul’s net, the Reds moved three points closer to immortality.
And Klopp wasn’t the only German tactician blown away by a rare moment of magic in a game short of quality in testing conditions.
“Mane knew how to put the centre back off-balance, good first touch and world-class finish. No complaints from my side. I accept this goal,” Farke told the Pink’Un.
“That is the difference in terms of individual quality. It was definitely a moment of quality.”
In all competitions this season, Mane has 16 goals and 11 assists with winning strikes against the likes of Wolves, Aston Villa and Newcastle putting Liverpool within touching distance of a place in the history books.
And it speaks volumes about the transformation of this historic old club that Liverpool can now bring players with Mane’s world-renowned talent off the bench when they need three points.
Four years ago this month, The Reds drew 2-2 with Sunderland at Anfield. On the bench that day; Jordon Ibe, Kolo Toure, Jon Flanagan, Lucas Leiva and an out-of-sorts Christian Benteke.
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