Ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League clash at home to Watford on Saturday, Sadio Mane relived his wonder-goal from the 3-3 draw back in August.
Mane kicked off the season with a bang as he cancelled out Stefano Okaka’s opener with a stunning strike at Vicarage Road.
The 25-year-old picked up where he had left off in his maiden campaign with the Reds as he combined with Alberto Moreno and Emre Can before beating Heurelho Gomes.
His finish was exquisite, lifting the ball up and over Gomes and into the top corner, but his work in the buildup was similarly impressive.
Detailing the planning behind his goal at Melwood with International Academy coach Steven Gillespie, Mane provided an insight into his quick thinking on the pitch.
He explained his decision to turn away from the onrushing Abdoulaye Doucoure onto the outside of his boot, and the need to offload the ball to Moreno on the left flank.
And Mane revealed Can’s crucial role, with the midfielder urging his team-mate to dummy the ball into his path before providing the assist.
Despite widely considered to be enduring a hit-and-miss season, Mane has now scored 14 goals in 32 games, improving on last term’s 13 in 29 outings.
While he certainly endured a dip in form midway through 2017/18, his evaluation of his strike at Watford highlights Mane as an intelligent, top-level talent.
The hope will be he continues his rich vein of recent form with another strike as Liverpool take three points from the Hornets on Saturday.
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