Sadio Mane struck a brace as Liverpool surged into the quarter finals of the Champions League with a famous 3-1 victory at Bayern Munich.
The in-form Senegalese star took three sublime touches as he latched on to Virgil van Dijk's long pass and outfoxed the advancing Manuel Neuer before lifting a delightful finish into the far corner to open the scoring on 26 minutes.
Sadio Mane of Liverpool scores the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg match between FC Bayern Muenchen and Liverpool at Allianz Arena on March 13, 2019 in Munich, Bavaria.
Image credit: Getty Images
It left Bayern with it all to do following the goalless first leg at Anfield three weeks earlier, but they were handed a lifeline six minutes prior to the interval when Joel Matip turned Serge Gnabry's cross-shot into his own net.
The Bavarian giants were hoping to reach the quarter finals of this competition for the eighth season in a row, but laboured for long spells and saw their hopes extinguished when Van Dijk rose to head home a corner on 69 minutes.
Champions League - Round of 16 Second Leg - Bayern Munich v Liverpool - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - March 13, 2019 Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk scores their second goal
Image credit: Getty Images
The Merseysiders then completed a relatively comfortable night's work when Mane nodded in Mohamed Salah's cross for his 19th goal of the season six minutes from time.
Liverpool's triumph means all four English sides can now look forward to Friday's draw for the last eight of the competition. The Reds will then turn their attention back to the Premier League title race and a trip to struggling Fulham on Sunday.
TALKING POINT
Liverpool complete the Premier League set. This was billed as the tie of the round, but in truth it never quite lived up to it. Liverpool were never really at their fluid best, but were too good for a Bayern side who rarely threatened to deny Jurgen Klopp a happy return to his homeland. Indeed, the Bavarians were a shadow of the side who have been a major contender in this competition over the past decade, and it may well signal the end of an era for some of their main men.
Champions League - Round of 16 Second Leg - Bayern Munich v Liverpool - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - March 13, 2019 Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk celebrates scoring their second goal with Roberto Firmino Action
Image credit: Reuters
In contrast, Liverpool continue to thrive. The Premier League is the only domestic competition ever to have had four clubs represented in the last eight and the Merseysiders have ensured it has happened for a third season - and for the first time in 10 years. It underlines the strength of English sides right now, and there's no doubt the managers of those respective teams will be keen to avoid each other when the draw is made on Friday.
The Reds made it to last year's final and remain a team to fear over two legs as they appear to have found their European mojo on the road at just the right time. Mane is on song and if Salah begins to click - with van Dijk, Alisson et al imperious at the back - they could yet peak in all competitions when it matters most.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Sadio Mane (Liverpool). The forward gave the away side the perfect start with some sensational individual skill. He worked tirelessly throughout and was a real threat on the counter. Fittingly he then sealed the win with his second late on to take his tally to 10 in his last 10 outings in all competitions
Champions League - Round of 16 Second Leg - Bayern Munich v Liverpool - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - March 13, 2019 Liverpool's Sadio Mane celebrates scoring their third goal with Divock Origi
Image credit: Reuters
PLAYER RATINGS
BAYERN: Neuer 5, Rafinha 6, Sule 6, Hummels 7, Alaba 6, Thiago 6, Martinez 6, Ribery 6, Rodriguez 5, Gnabry 6, Lewandowski 6. Subs: Coman 6, Goretzka 6, Sanches 5.
LIVERPOOL: Alisson 6, Alexander-Arnold 7, Matip 6, Van Dijk 9, Robertson 6, Milner 7, Wijnaldum 7, Henderson 6, Mane 9, Firmino 7, Salah 8. Subs: Fabinho 7, Lallana 6, Origi n/a.
KEY MOMENTS
26' - GOAL! Bayern 0-1 Liverpool. Mane takes down van Dijk's ball over the top and spins beyond the advancing Neuer before lifting a delightful finish over the covering defender and into the far corner (Liverpool lead 1-0 on aggregate).
39' - GOAL! Bayern 1-1 Liverpool. Bayern are level and back in business! Gnabry outfoxes Robertson with a smart run in-behind down the right. He bursts into the box and fires in a devilish ball that Matip can only stab into his own net. (1-1 on aggregate)
69' - GOAL! Bayern 1-2 Liverpool. Van Dijk rises to meet Milner's right-wing corner and thunders a bullet header into the bottom corner. It's a long way back for Bayern now. (Liverpool lead 2-1 on aggregate).
Liverpool's Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk celebrates scoring the 1-2 goal with his team-mates during the UEFA Champions League, last 16, second leg football match Bayern Munich v Liverpool in Munich, southern Germany, on March 13, 2019
Image credit: Getty Images
76' - LIVERPOOL CHANCE! Greedy from Salah. Liverpool break at speed and have men over. The Egyptian races on to Firmino's pass and tries to weave beyond two defenders. Mane is completely free, but he ignores him and Neuer is able to scramble it to safety.
84' - GOAL! Bayern 1-3 Liverpool. It's all over! Mane nods in his second of the game as he converts Salah's cross from the right on the stretch. (Liverpool lead 3-1 on aggregate).
KEY STATS
Matip is only the fourth Liverpool player to score an own goal in the Champions League after Sami Hyypia (v Besiktas in 2007), John Arne Riise (v Chelsea 2008) and James Milner (v Roma in 2018).
There will be four English teams in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign.
Since the start of last season, no player has provided more Champions League assists than James Milner.
Mane is now Liverpool's outright highest away goalscorer in European Cup/Champions League history.
van Dijk is the first Liverpool player to both score and assist a goal in an away Champions League knockout game since Craig Bellamy in the Camp Nou back in February 2007
van Dijk has scored three goals in his last four games for Liverpool in all competitions, more than he'd managed in his first 55 appearances for the Reds.
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