Sadio Mane Doubles Seals Champions League Spot For Liverpool
Sadio Mane scored twice as Liverpool sealed a third-placed finish and Champions League football with a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace in front of 10,000 fans at Anfield on the final day of the season.
Liverpool started the final day fourth in the table and knew victory would all-but secure another season in Europe’s elite club competition.
There were nerves early on, as Crystal Palace threatened through Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend, and top-four rivals Leicester took the lead against Tottenham to knock the Reds down into fifth spot, but Liverpool roared to an imperious victory.
Mane bundled in his first on 36 minutes as Liverpool took a deserved lead after spurning a host of gilt-edged opportunities and added a second 16 minutes from time to wrap up a vital three points for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
The only negative from a Liverpool perspective was that Mohamed Salah failed to get on the scoresheet as he missed out on the Golden Boot to Harry Kane, but that did little to subside the carnival atmosphere inside Anfield, which had an emotional end as fan-favourite Georginio Wijnaldum looked to bid the club farewell.
