Sadio Mane has claimed Karim Benzema should win the Ballon d'Or - despite the fact he is also in the running.
The Senegal star enjoyed an impressive season last term and has continued that form into the current campaign. With Liverpool he claimed two domestic cups whilst finishing second in the Premier League and collecting a runners-up medal in the Champions League.
On that night in Paris it was Benzema and Real Madrid who ended Liverpool's hopes of picking up a seventh European crown. It capped off what was a sensational year for the Frenchman, who has continued to blossom as his career's gone on.
The 34-year-old didn't score in the final, but was prolific in the knockout stages as he continued to step up when Los Blancos looked down and out. Benzema scored a hat-trick in just 17 minutes to produce a stellar comeback against PSG in the last 16.
He then cut through Chelsea's defence, scoring four times across the two legs as the Spain side saw off the Blues 5-4 on aggregate. Benzema also scored the winning penalty which knocked out Manchester City in the semi-finals, helping him end the European campaign with 15 goals.
At club level Benzema also helped Los Blancos claim the LaLiga title following the return of Carlo Ancelotti. Come the end of the season the forward finished with 44 goals - the highest total of his career.
Those exploits have seen Mane state that he would be a worthy winner of the Ballon d'Or. He said: "Honestly, I think that Karim deserves it this year. He’s had a great, great season with Real Madrid. He’s won the Champions League… I think he easily deserves it, so I’m happy for him.
Who will win the Ballon d'Or? Comment below
"I know I won the African Cup of Nations, it was a relief for me and for the whole country, and I’m really happy to have won my first AFCON with my country.
"But I think it’s Karim who deserves it, and I honestly believe that."
Victory would make Benzema the first Frenchman since Zinedine Zidane in 1998 to claim the award and just the fifth man from his country to do so. Had Mane claimed the award he would've become just the second African player to do so, following on from George Weah, who won it in 1995.
The Bayern Munich star, who moved to Germany in the summer, has excelled on the international scene. He helped Senegal claim AFCON glory, seeing off Egypt in the final. They also defeat Egypt and former teammate Mohamed Salah to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar.
