Mane shines as Liverpool destroy Barcelona 4-0

New signing Sadio Mane scored one goal and made another as Liverpool slickly defeated Barcelona 4-0 in a one-sided friendly match at a sun-soaked Wembley on Sunday.

A £34 million capture from Southampton, Mane struck a 15th-minute opener and then supplied the cross from which ex-Liverpool player Javier Mascherano scored an own goal.

Divock Origi added a third seconds later and substitute Marko Grujic chipped in with a stoppage-time header as Jurgen Klopp’s side registered their sixth win in eight pre-season games.

They play Mainz, one of Klopp’s former clubs, in a friendly in Germany on Sunday before tackling Arsenal in their Premier League opener next weekend.

Barcelona’s defeat meant that Paris Saint-Germain won the International Champions Cup friendly tournament for the second year running.

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique was missing Neymar, who is on duty with hosts Brazil at the Olympics, but fielded both former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi, who hit the post in the first half.

Barca play Sampdoria at the Camp Nou in their final pre-season friendly on Wednesday and face Sevilla in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on August 14.

The glamour tie drew 89 845 spectators to Wembley – the stadium’s second-highest attendance – and it was Liverpool’s fans, comfortably in the majority, who went home with smiles on their faces.

With seven friendly games behind them to Barcelona’s two, Liverpool were the sharper team and they took the lead with a slick goal.

After winning possession on halfway, Adam Lallana surged forward and exchanged passes with Roberto Firmino before teeing up Mane, whose rising shot beat goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Klopp reacted with a flurry of fist pumps, but his side had to weather a succession of Barcelona chances before halftime.

Suarez, facing his former club for the first time, teed up Messi to roll a shot against the right-hand post, while Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet saved from Arda Turan and Suarez.

James Milner, who announced his England retirement on Friday, was again deployed at left-back for Liverpool, but had to give way to Alberto Moreno before halftime.

Within three minutes of kick-off in the second half, the game was as good as over.

In the 47th minute, Origi’s flick released Mane and his low cross from the right was bundled into the net by Mascherano.

Barely a minute later, Kevin Stewart caught Jeremy Mathieu dawdling on the ball and freed fellow halftime substitute Origi, who coolly beat Barcelona replacement goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.

Grujic, a January recruit from Red Star Belgrade, put the cherry on the cake in added time, meeting fellow Serbian Lazar Markovic’s scooped pass with a fine header that looped over Bravo.

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now