Liverpool's Sadio Mane scores crazy FA Cup goal vs Man City
Sadio Mane has just scored a truly wild goal to put Liverpool in dreamland vs Manchester City.
The Reds are hunting their second trophy of the season in the FA Cup semi-finals under the Wembley arch this weekend, but had to overcome the toughest opposition possible to keep their hopes alive.
Besides, if it wasn’t for Manchester City, there’s good reason to think that Jurgen Klopp would have cantered his way to a second Premier League title at Anfield long ago this season.
Man City vs Liverpool in the FA Cup
But alas, the might of Pep Guardiola’s Citizens – who entered the game with treble hopes of their own – have made sure that two top English teams will be battling it out for the remaining trophies in 2021/22.
Nevertheless, it was Liverpool who came flying out of the blocks in north London as they shocked everybody to go 2-0 up within the opening quarter of the game.
It was the latest in a long line of recent Ibrahima Konate headers that broke the deadlock, but it was the second goal, scored in wild fashion by Mane, that was particularly eye-catching.
Mane scores wild goal at Wembley
That’s because City’s number two goalkeeper, Zack Steffen, failed in his attempts to replicate the cool, calm and collected play of Ederson when he was remarkably tackled by Mane in the box.
The American shot-stopper was far too complacent mere metres away from his own goal-line when Liverpool’s Senegalese sensation showed exactly the type of pressing that Klopp demands from his players.
And well, the pressing just happened to be so effective on this particular occasion that it led directly to the crazy goal that you can scratch your heads over down below:
😬 A goal Zack Steffen will never want to see again.
— GiveMeSport (@GiveMeSport) April 16, 2022
❌ Tries to do an Ederson from last weekend & fails.
🎥: @EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/nfqpYxGdbt
GOAL!
— Fast Football Goals (@fastfootygoal) April 16, 2022
Sadio Mane scores one of the craziest goal you’ve ever seen 🔴#MNCLIV | #LFC
pic.twitter.com/sjw4xo7d9K
Klopp must have absolutely loved that.
What makes the situation so painful for City is that Ederson showed exactly how you should handle that very scenario when he recovered from a mistake in his own six-yard box during the two teams’ Premier League clash.
Nevertheless, despite Steffen undoubtedly proving a classy back-up option between the sticks, it couldn’t have been any clearer that he doesn’t quite having the ball-playing composure of his superior number.
The finest of margins
For all the quality on display at Wembley across the two sides that are by far and away the best in the country, football is such that sometimes it only takes exploiting an opposition error to win a massive game.
Besides, when arguably the finest two managers in the men’s game are calling the shots from the technical area, it’s no surprise that their meetings together are often decided by the finest of margins.
As things stand, that extra split-second of dilly-dallying from Steffen could well be what dictates whether it’s the quadruple or treble dream that stays alive at the home of football this afternoon. Game on.