LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Friday, August 9, 2019: Liverpool's Sadio Mane during the pre-match warm-up before the opening FA Premier League match of the season between Liverpool FC and Norwich City FC at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

“Lucky boy” Sadio Mane points to “incredible” assist & deserved Liverpool win

Sadio Mane scored one and won the vital penalty for Liverpool in the late 2-1 win over Leicester and says the rewards show why the Reds never give up.

His eighth of the season was also his 50th Premier League goal in a Liverpool shirt, once more underlining Mane’s enormous importance to the side.

Having spurned a chance or two to add to his tally, and to extend Liverpool’s lead while a goal up, Mane’s industry and opportunism saw him intercept a loose ball in the dying moments of injury time—and win a penalty after being fouled.

Leicester players—and no shortage of outsiders—were incensed at the decision to award the Reds a late spot-kick, but Mane sees it as an irrelevance: Liverpool were better, and warranted the three points.

“I think it would have been so important for us to keep managing the game, but sometimes it’s not easy because Leicester is a very, very good team and caused us many problems,” he told the club website.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, October 5, 2019: Liverpool's Sadio Mane during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Leicester City FC at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

“They equalised the game and that’s why in football you never give up, that’s what we try to do as a team.

“At the end of the game, we got a penalty. To be honest, we just have to say we deserved to win this game.

“The most important thing is the three points, it doesn’t matter how tired we are.”

While Mane gave James Milner the chance to win the match from 12 yards, it was the elder statesman himself who set the No. 10 away to open the scoring in the first half.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, October 5, 2019: Liverpool's James Milner celebrates after scoring the winning second goal, an injury time penalty, during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Leicester City FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 2-1. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Mane paid tribute to the vision and execution of his vice-captain, while jokingly expressing shock at the quality of the pass.

“The assist was just incredible. I didn’t expect that he saw me because usually he never gives me that kind of ball!

“It was just a great assist from Milner and I just try to finish each ball. Lucky boy, I just finished this one and I’m happy to score a goal, especially as we got the three points.”

Liverpool will head into the international break at least five points clear of Man City, with Mane heading off with Senegal to face Brazil in Singapore.