Top Fives: Mané moments
We’re paying tribute to former Southampton star Sadio Mané on his 29th birthday, as we relive his finest moments in a Saints shirt…
5. Leaving it late at Loftus Road
7th February 2015
This last-gasp winner strengthened Saints’ position in the Premier League’s top four with just three months of the season to go. Captain José Fonte volleyed against the bar in the first half for Ronald Koeman’s team, who were pressing for a breakthrough more and more as the clock ticked down. Cue a moment of brilliance from Mané, who received Maya Yoshida’s pass inside the penalty area with his back to goal in the 93rd minute. Turning sharply away from defender Nedum Onuoha, the forward found enough space to send an unstoppable left-footed shot arrowing across goalkeeper Robert Green and just underneath the crossbar, sparking scenes of jubilation in the upper tier behind Green’s goal.
4. Defying the angles against Arsenal1st January 2015What a way to welcome in the new year, as Mané registered Saints’ first goal of 2015 in spectacular fashion. Latching on to James Ward-Prowse’s chipped pass over the top, he raced in behind Laurent Koscielny and beat goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to the ball. In doing so, however, Mané forced himself wide, and had his back to the byeline as he turned to keep it in play. As Koscielny, Szczesny and Per Mertesacker retreated, the Senegalese opted against cutting the ball back for Graziano Pellè and instead went for goal himself, scoring from an improbable angle with his less-favoured left foot – an early sign of his undoubted talent.
3. Putting City to the sword1st May 2016 When a Premier League hat-trick against Man City is only third on the list, it just underlines Mané’s whirlwind contribution to Saints over his two-season stay. Koeman’s men signed off the 2015/16 campaign in style, with four wins in a row to secure a sixth-place finish, scoring 14 goals in the process. Four of those came in the club’s penultimate home game, against Champions League semi-finalists Man City. First Mané latched on to a defence-splitting pass from Dušan Tadić to squeeze a low shot inside Joe Hart’s near post, before reacting quickest to Virgil van Dijk’s header against the crossbar for a close-range second. Again Tadić was the provider for his third, threading another low pass from which Mané celebrated a St Mary’s hat-trick in May for the second season running.
