Sadio Mane on the verge of history as Liverpool take on Villarreal

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Sadio Mane is often compared with his striking teammate Mohamed Salah, as the two vie for individual recognition, but could be about to surpass a record only Didier Drogba has managed previously.

If Mane manages to score against Villarreal on Tuesday evening in the return leg of their Champions League semi-final, he will go ahead of Drogba as the top-scoring African player in the knockout stages of the competition. After scoring in the first leg, Mane moved onto 14 goals, level with the Ivorian.

Should he score twice against Villarreal, Mane would also become the top-scorer in the Champions League knockouts for any English side in history. The record, 15 goals, is currently held by Everton manager Frank Lampard. As talkSPORT reference, this would be particularly impressive as Mane has done so in just 5 European campaigns.

Sadio Mane at AFCON with Senegal.

Given Villarreal will be forced to come forward, more space should be available to Mane and company as Liverpool look to sentence the tie, with a two-goal lead in hand.

It could be the next feat in a calendar filled with triumphs for Mane, who has already guided Senegal to the African Cup of Nations and secured World Cup qualification for his country, after a heated play-off with Egypt. At club level, there is still the prospect of an historic quadruple with Liverpool too.

 

More Stories Champions League Didier Drogba Liverpool Sadio Mane Villarreal