Liverpool forward Sadio Mane missed a Penalty in Liverpool’s FA Cup victory over Chelsea at Wembley.
Sadio Mane was the only Liverpool player to have missed a penalty on the day. after Cesar Azipilicueta has missed the second penalty for Chelsea. Sadio Mane was gifted the chance to score the winning goal for the Reds but his kick was saved by Edouard Mendy.
The Senegalese international has been on fire for Liverpool after winning the African Cup of Nations with Senegal. Sadio Mane has scored 22 goals and provided 5 assists in 49 matches for Liverpool this season including seven goals in his last eleven appearances.
The 30 years old forward have been tipped by many Journalists and sports Pundits around the World to challenge Real Madrid talisman Karim Benzema for the Ballon d’Or this year.
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After enjoying just an impressive year for Club and country, it will come as a surprise if he is named in the Ballon d; or top three.
Liverpool center-back Virgil van Dijk was full of praise for his teammate despite missing the 5th penalty.
What was said?
The Dutch international told the Liverpool official website: “It feels good. Intense, it had it all, I think. They created chances, we created great chances, and in the end, it’s a lottery, [it] can go either way.’’
“Unfortunately, Sadio missed [a penalty], but he had a fantastic game. I said it to him as well, it shouldn’t take anything of that away. But to do it after so many games we’ve played this season and the performance we put in, I think it’s a good thing.”
Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp has also praised his players for their contribution after winning the Cup double over Chelsea.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Southampton game he said: “That we sit here and we have won two cup competitions, there is one reason for it – only one – and that’s that we have this group of players out there,” said the boss.’’
“That’s the reason: that they all stayed on track, that they stayed in line and were outstanding in training. Whoever was involved in the squad or not, come on or didn’t come on, and all these kinds of things, the atmosphere this group created is exceptional, absolutely exceptional, and that’s why we won these two competitions.’’
“We cannot go for all the things we fight for, that you go to the final, and always play the same eleven players. It’s not possible.’’
“Everybody has his part. We’ve only now discussed it and can it order here publicly more medals from the FA? I cannot believe the amount of medals is restricted. Why would you do that? We’ve realized now [because] we want to give medals to all the players… OK, so then the coaches cannot have [one]. What? It is a bit tough, so dear FA, please send some more medals. It is not a good idea with the squads getting bigger but the numbers stay the same, so do that.’’
“It’s really important the boys did what they did. I never felt that comfortable doing the many changes that we’ve done in the past, never; it’s not that I didn’t want to do it, I trust the boys but are the boys ready to trust themselves? That’s then the question. Do the boys look left and right and think, ‘Wow, we’ve never played together… how will that work?’ But they played very often together because in training in the periods we have time, they have these moments where they played together.”
“The one thing I think the most in the minus one or minus two sessions when we can go 11 v 11 is ‘Thank God we don’t play these guys tomorrow!’ That’s the way we showed up in the competitions. Now for tomorrow at Southampton, we will see.”
“The 120 minutes against Chelsea, we just have to make sure we are not getting nuts with [it], trying it again, forcing it again, in the end, it will be a top team. Southampton will try to beat us and we will try to beat them as well and then we will see.”
Liverpool will likely be without Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk for Tuesday’s game with Southampton at the Saint Mary’s Stadium.
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