“He won’t be the same player” – Sadio Mane jokingly responds to Karim Benzema threat as Liverpool prepare to face Real Madrid in Champions League final

Liverpool star Sadio Mane has jokingly responded to the threat Karim Benzema will pose in the UEFA Champions League final when the Reds face Real Madrid on May 28.

Benzema, 34, has been in red-hot form this season, and has scored 44 goals and contributing 15 assists in 45 appearances.

This included two consecutive hat-tricks en route to Madrid's Champions League final encounter with Liverpool.

The French striker is being touted as the favorite for the 2022 Ballon d'Or for his impressive season.

But Mane believes Benzema will not be at the peak of his powers when he faces Liverpool on Saturday.

He told GOAL in this regard:

“He’s a good lad. A very good striker, one of the best in the world. He shows it every time. But I think he won’t be the same player on Saturday and I expect it. After that he can become Karim again.”

Mane may be the French star's closest rival for the Ballon d'Or prize given his phenomenal campaign for the Anfield giants.

He has been instrumental in the side's pursuit of an unprecedented which saw them claim the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup.

Liverpool just missed out on the Premier League title on the final day of the season against Manchester City by a mere point.

Mane, 30, has scored 23 goals and contributed five assists in 50 appearances across all competitions.

The Senegalese forward has also been given a new role as a centre-forward under Jurgen Klopp this season and has flourished.

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Karim Benzema will be key for Real Madrid against Liverpool in the Champions League final

Karim Benzema has captivated in the Champions League

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has been at the forefront of Real Madrid's race to the Champions League final.

The Frenchman has carried Madrid through each round with iconic performances which began in the R16 against Paris Saint-Germain.

The legendary forward scored a mesmerising second-half hat-trick against PSG in the second leg, with Los Blancos having trailed 2-0 on aggregate.

He would continue his run of form against Chelsea in the quarter-finals, scoring a first-half hat-trick in the first leg at Stamford Bridge.

Benzema would get the winner in the second leg, with the tie having been taken to extra-time after the aggregate was level at 4-4.

In the semi-finals against Manchester City, Benzema was once again the man of the hour.

He scored two goals in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium, with City having taken a 4-3 lead to the Santiago Bernabeu.

The veteran striker once again got the winner in this round with an extra-time penalty following Rodrygo's two added-time goals having cancelled out a Riyad Mahrez 73rd-minute strike.

That meant Los Blancos had staged a 6-5 comeback victory and that has been the story of the campaign for the La Liga champions with Benzema being their savior time and again.