Sadio Mane reveals he urged Liverpool teammate Roberto Firmino to play against PSG: ‘You don't need your eye’

The Brazilian came off the bench to score a dramatic late winner in a 3-2 victory at Anfield

Sadio Mane revealed he texted Liverpool teammate Roberto Firmino to say the Brazilian did not need his injured eye to play against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

Firmino, brought on as a substitute in the 72nd minute at Anfield, scored a dramatic injury-time winner as Liverpool withstood PSG’s second-half fightback to triumph 3-2 in a clash of Champions League heavyweights on the opening night of group stage action.

The Brazilian celebrated his goal by covering his left eye in reference to the abrasion he suffered in a gruesome clash with Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen on Saturday, and after the match Mane said he had been urging his strike partner to make himself available for the game.

“I think Bobby doesn't need his eye to play so I told him,” Mane said. “I sent him a message on Monday saying, 'Hey Bobby, come on, we need you'.

“You've all seen the 'no look' goals so I think he doesn't need his eye to play. I texted him saying, 'You don't need your eye'.”

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Daniel Sturridge started up front as a result of the doubts over Firmino’s readiness to play and marked the occasion with the opening goal of the game, rising unmarked to head in Andy Robertson’s precise cross from the left wing in the 30th minute.

Liverpool doubled their lead six minutes later when James Milner hammered home a penalty after Georginio Wijnaldum had been felled in the box, but Thomas Meunier gave PSG hope of a comeback shortly before half-time with a snap shot that caught Alisson by surprise.

Kylian Mbappe then looked to have secured PSG an unlikely draw when he capitalised on uncertainty in the Liverpool defence to fire a low shot beyond Alisson in the 83rd minute, but Firmino’s late intervention ensured that Jurgen Klopp’s men made the perfect start to their Champions League campaign by surging to the top of Group C.

“It's a great start,” Mane added. “It is too early to speak about anything, but it is very important for us to focus more because we are Liverpool , we are a stronger team, and we will try to do our best every game. I think it's a big result [against PSG] honestly. It is very important for us to keep going on our good run.

“It was not an easy game because PSG are one of the best teams in the world, but we played very well and deserved to win.”