Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has waxed lyrical about Sadio Mane’s performance in Saturday’s 3-2 FA Cup triumph over Manchester City.
The 30-year-old put up a man-of-the-match display with his brace sending the Reds into the final of the competition.
Reflecting on the Senegal international’s showing, the German tactician showered praise on the former Southampton star, while admitting City’s Ederson would get some knocks for Mane’s first goal.
“He played an incredible game, an absolutely incredible game,” Klopp told the club website.
“He was the first player to start the press, so it was intense for him as well. The first goal he scored, I love it.
“But I don't like too much that the goalie will get some criticism for it, but it's not about that because Zack can do what he wants in that situation, like Ederson did a week ago.
“These kind of things happen, with Ali and all these things. If you want to play football, that can happen.
“But the acceleration of Sadio, the desire to get there, it was really great. So this goal was great and the other one was obviously proper football until the final pass with the little chip and then the volley – it was a great goal.”
The former Borussia Dortmund handler was also impressed with Mali prospect Ibrahima Konate who was among the goalscorers after he was set up by Andrew Robertson.
“Ibou scored now the third goal in his third start in a row, if I'm 100 percent right, which is very helpful as well,” he continued.
“Set-pieces are very important, especially [when] teams are a little bit more focused on Virgil, so it's really important that the second target player can use that maybe. He did it now three times, it's really cool.”
Asked whether Liverpool can end the 2021-22 campaign with four titles, he added: “You can mention whatever you want, but it doesn't make it more likely.
“You won't get the answers you want from me. I think a game like today shows it even more how unlikely it is to do something like that.”
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