Liverpool’s Senegalese forward Sadio Mane scored a hat-trick against Portuguese side FC Porto on Wednesday to edge his side closer to the quarter final stage of the UEFA Champions League.
Liverpool ran riot at the Estádio do Dragão, with Egyptian Mohamed Salah and Brazilian Firmino also getting on the score sheet.
Mane opened the scoring in the 25 minute after seeing his shot slip under Porto goalkeeper Jose Sa and crawl past the line.
Salah added a second four minutes later in classy fashion, marking his 30 goal for Liverpool in what is turning out to be an incredible season for him.
A swift Liverpool counter-attack ended with Sa spilling Roberto Firmino’s shot into Mane’s path, and the forward made no mistake.
Firmino grabbed Liverpool’s fourth in the 69th minute after sweeping a James Milner cross into the right bottom corner, before Manse grabbed his third of the night with five minutes of normal time to go.
Porto had lost only two matches in all competitions this season prior to Wednesday’s game but simply could not cope with Liverpool’s unstoppable forward line.
The Portuguese side are now as good as eliminated from the competition ahead of a return leg to be played at Anfield on 6 March.
Elsewhere, star-studded Paris Saint-Germain lost to Spanish Giants Real Madrid by 3-1, with Cristiano Ronaldo notching a brace.
The French side took the lead in the 33 minute through Adrien Rabiot, but Ronaldo ensured his side went to the break level as he slotted home from the penalty spot after Toni Kroos was brought down in the box in the 45th minute.
Real went on to score two more, with Brazilian left-back Marcelo scoring the third.
The two sides will clash again at the Parc des Princes on 6 March.
