EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Sadio Mane converted a penalty kick in the 94th minute to lift Liverpool to a 2-1 victory over Manchester City at MetLife Stadium in the International Champions Cup Wednesday night.
City, which lost for the second time in a row, struck first on Leroy Sane’s goal in the 60th minute before its English Premier League rivals stormed back with two goals on a rather dodgy and wet soccer pitch as Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, a substitute, equalized in the 66th minute.
ManCity, the parent club of New York City FC, was missing a host of World Cup stars who were given a rest after Russia 2018.
Salah showed no problems from the shoulder injury he suffered late last season.
“I said before the game, it’s not that he has problems – he has no problems,” Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp. “He only needs to get used to all the different things.
“We do a lot with the shoulder to strengthen the muscles and all that stuff. Usually you don’t do anything with the shoulder but in rehab you feel this and feel that, and you need to learn that’s normal. He is in that moment but he has absolutely no issue. I was not concerned about it otherwise he wouldn’t have played.”
Despite the result, ManCity head coach Pep Guardiola liked what he had seen.
“It’s incredible what we have done,” he said. “The first 75 minutes, against this team which fought for the Champions League last season, I am so, so proud. I am happy to be manager of these guys for this reason.
“For 75 incredible minutes, the players were so tired but worked so hard and for the last part of the game Liverpool brought on incredible quality and deserved to score the goals in the end.”
