Sadio Mane moved level with Chelsea legend Didier Drogba by scoring his 14th goal in the Champions League knockout stages.
The 30-year-old netted Liverpool's second as the Reds beat Villarreal 2-0 in their Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday. Mane, who played 73 minutes at Anfield, latched onto Mohamed Salah's cute through ball in the 55th minute and poked past Geronimo Rulli to double his side's lead, edging them closer to May's final.
Jurgen Klopp's men went in front after Jordan Henderson's cross was deflected in off Villarreal defender Pervis Estupinan less than two minutes before Mane struck. The Senegal star matched Drogba's output with knockout goal number 14, which is the record for an African player in Champions League history.
The Ivorian won the competition with Chelsea in 2012, bagging a memorable header in the final against Bayern Munich before scoring the winning penalty in the shoot-out. Drogba's achievements, however, could soon be eclipsed by Mane, who is hoping to lift his second European trophy in May.
Back in February, the ex- Southampton striker overtook the Stamford Bridge icon in the Premier League goalscoring charts, becoming the top African goalscorer with his 106th goal. Since then, Mane has notched a further three strikes to take him further clear of Drogba, who retired in 2018 following a trophy-laden career.
His fearsome form comes after speculation surrounding his future over the winter when Diogo Jota was firing and Luis Diaz arrived for £50million from Porto. Klopp, however, still sees the ageing Mane as a key part of his attack which has brought so much success to Anfield during his reign.
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Following their thrilling 2-2 draw against Manchester City in which Mane scored the equaliser, Klopp declared: "Everyone who played for us on the day contributed to an important result, but I did want to pick out Sadio. It was his 30th birthday on the day of the game and he still looks as fresh and vibrant as when he joined this club as a younger professional.
"He is a machine. What he has done for this club and continues to do puts him in the bracket of 'legend'. For LFC and Senegal he is playing to his highest level possible. What's exciting is how he is getting better and stronger. When you see how he looks after himself and his commitment to his profession, turning 30 for him really is only a number.
"His attitude and character are elite. We are so appreciative of him and I know for sure the levels he reaches at the moment are not the peak – there is even more to come from this very special player."
