Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has warned Real Madrid ahead of their Uefa Champions League final meeting, insisting the Anfield outfit ‘can beat any team in the world’.
Mane scored the opener against AS Roma in the second leg of their semi-final tie on Wednesday. And although two late second-half strikes from Radja Nainggolan saw the visitors lose 4-2, a 7-6 aggregate win saw them end up with one of the two spots for the final in Kiev.
They battle Madrid who are on the brink of a hat-trick of consecutive Champions League honours.
However, Mane, unfazed by the Spanish giants’ reputation as favourites, believes his free-scoring team can defeat them to lift the prestigious trophy for the first time since 2007.
“We have a lot of respect for Madrid, they are one of the best teams in the world, but we are Liverpool - we are strong and we can beat any team in the world,” Mane told Express.
“We have the players. We can score goals. And we have shown there is nothing to be afraid of for us.”
Mane’s opener against the Giallorossi was his ninth in an awe-inspiring debut campaign in the Champions League, which he hopes to cap with its title.