‘I was a bit lucky’ for winning derby goal, says Liverpool forward Mane

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane admitted he was “a little bit lucky” after his injury-time strike sealed a 1-0 victory against Everton on Monday night.

After Daniel Sturridge’s 94th-minute effort hit the post, Mane sped in to fire in the rebound – which ensures Jurgen Klopp’s men won bragging rights over their Merseyside rivals.

“I was a little bit lucky but I wish to always be lucky and score goals for the team!” the Senegalese international said.

“I’m thankful and very happy to score the winning goal for the team.

“It wasn’t an easy game but I think we deserved to win because we created a lot of chances and we got the goal.

Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images

“We were [facing] a very good team and we had to keep going to the end. But that’s what we did and got the win.”

The win lifts Liverpool to second in the league, six points behind leaders Chelsea.

Mane also praised his defensive colleagues for neutralising the threat of Everton’s forward line, led by Romelu Lukaku.

“They did a great job today because Lukaku is one of the best in this league,” he added.

“The performance of the team was good today. It was important to get a clean sheet.

“It’s [always] important to score and not concede and that’s what we did in the last two games.

“We’ve got to keep going that way – why not until the end of the season?”