‘Absolutely outstanding’: BBC pundit suggests £34m Liverpool player has proven Reds fans wrong

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Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has made it into Garth Crooks’ latest Team of the Week on BBC Sport.

The 29-year-old has been playing centrally for Jurgen Klopp side in recent weeks, to great effect.

Mane further justified his suitability at centre-forward in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final win over Manchester City.

Liverpool were simply rampant in the first half at Wembley, blowing Pep Guardiola’s charges away.

And Mane played a huge part in this first-half demolition with two goals.

Liverpool took the lead after just nine minutes through yet another Ibrahima Konate header.

The 22-year-old has headed home the opener for Reds in both legs against Benfica and now against City.

Then, City goalkeeper Zack Steffen gifted Mane a second in the 17th minute.

He hesitated for far too long after controlling a back pass.

This allowed the £34million forward to run into the box and slide the ball into the net.

Mane then went on to add a third, capping off a superb team move to volley in at the near post.

City fought back in the second half and pulled two goals back, but Liverpool held on for a 3-2 triumph.

“Won’t dangle the ball in front of Mane again”

Crooks named two Liverpool players in his TOTW – Ibrahima Konate and Mane.

The BBC Sport pundit also suggested Mane proved most Reds fans wrong, claiming they’d have “sacrificed” him for Roberto Firmino.

“The 3-0 half-time scoreline didn’t tell the whole story in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final,” he wrote. “It could have been much worse.

“Mane, who it would appear seems to be the player most Liverpool fans would have sacrificed for the return of the in-form Roberto Firmino, was absolutely outstanding.

“Not only was he the only Liverpool forward prepared to put himself about and get physical with City’s defence, but he was once again clinical in front of goal.

“As for City’s stand-in goalkeeper Zack Steffen, he won’t dangle the ball in front of Mane again trying to be a ‘Cool Hand Luke’ when his feet were incapable of moving as fast as the Senegal international.”