In a team that has Mohammed Salah and Roberto Firmino playing in the attack, it is not an easy task to be a standout performer. With 11 goals and counting in UEFA Champions League (UCL) and Premier League (PL), Sadio Mane has done exactly that this season.
His artistry and athleticism from the left flank have made him an unbeatable opponent for full-backs and the Senegalese forward is often the key that his team has used to unlock difficult defences.
It is not that his teammates Salah and Firmino have been bad. Both of them have been good but have struggled to offer the same kind of consistent displays that saw the Liverpool attack torment defence each and every game last season.
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Salah has scored nine goals in the Champions League and the Premier League but does not look like the unstopped force that he was in the last two seasons. It is a case fine margins for a player who has 54 league goals in 71 starts over the last two seasons. And on the other hand, Robert Firmino has four goals in the league and is yet to open his account in Europe.
What Mane's timely step-up has done is to ensure Liverpool can cruise to wins and extend their excellent unbeaten record to 17 matches. They have won 15 of them and the last defeat was at the hands of Napoli in the Champions League earlier this season. This is the sign of a champion player in a champion team, one that aspired to go all the way in Europe. If Liverpool are to defend their Champions League trophy, they need in-form Mane fully fit and raring to go against Red Bull Salzburg.
