Sadio Mane responds to diving allegations during the match against Napoli

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has responded to accusations of diving in the match against Napoli. The Champions League match between Liverpool and Napoli ended in a draw, with both sides scoring one past each other. The draw meant that Liverpool will have to defeat Red Bull Salzburg on matchday six of the Champions League.

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Sadio Mane's penalty claim was denied against Napoli

Sadio Mane went down after a challenge by Napoli’s Giovanni Di Lorenzo, but his penalty claim was denied by the referee. However, Mane responded sarcastically on the diving allegations. As quoted by Liverpool Echo, Mane was asked if the referee should have re-looked at the incident. The Senegalese forward commented that he still considered it a penalty. He jokingly added that he was not diving like he usually does. He added that he was not the kind of player who would dive to steal something from the game. He concluded by saying that the challenge by Di Lorenzo was a genuine one, and it should have been a penalty.

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Pep Guardiola had accused Sadio Mane of diving

Liverpool have won several penalties in the Premier League this season, most of which have been accrued through Sadio Mane. Mane has long been accused of diving, particularly by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. During a pre-match press conference, Guardiola had accused Sadio Mane of diving when he was booked after going down in the penalty area following a challenge by Aston Villa's Frederic Guilbert. However, Mane was not bothered by the accusations. He had rather replied sarcastically to Guardiola, stating that he would dive again if it meant winning a penalty for his team.

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Liverpool need to win against Red Bull Salzburg to qualify for the knock out round in the Champions League

The European champions had to settle for a draw on Wednesday night, with Dejan Lovren equalising in the 65th minute. Napoli had scored earlier in the game, courtesy of a strike from Dries Mertens. Liverpool are currently group leaders with 10 points. Napoli are second in the table with 9 points, while Red Bull Salzburg have secured seven points in five games. If Liverpool win against Red Bull Salzburg, they will top the group and qualify for the next round. However, a defeat could mean that they will have to compete in the Europa League.

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