Sadio Mane Channels His Inner Vinicius, Grabs the Neck of Al Ain Star in Champions League: Video

• Sadio Mane lost his cool in Al-Nassr's AFC CL clash
• He placed his hands around the throat of an opponent
• The 31-year-old star should have received a red card

Sadio Mane's temper flared during Al-Nassr's AFC Champions League quarter-final second-leg encounter against Al Ain.

The Senegalese international mirrored Vinicius Junior's actions as he seemed to grab his opponent by the neck in the fiercely contested match at Al Awwal Park on Monday, March 11.

Mane shoves opponent by the neck

Mane remained on the pitch for the entire duration of the game, including the 30-minute extra time, but a needless act of aggression could have resulted in his dismissal.

With 19 minutes remaining and Al-Nassr trailing in the aggregate score, Mane, frustrated by a previous incident, briefly grabbed his opponent's neck, as cited by the Mirror.

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While such behaviour usually warrants a red card, referee Al Kaf Ahmed showed leniency by brandishing a yellow card instead, sparing Mane from expulsion.

Mane's dip in form since the start of 2024

Meanwhile, Mane, part of the wave of top-tier stars who moved from Europe to Saudi Arabia, has seen a decline in his performance since the beginning of the year.

He has only scored once since the 2023–24 season resumed, as noted by Transfermarkt, and was part of the supporting cast expected to spearhead Al-Nassr's comeback against the Emirati side.

Although he didn't find the net himself in the Al Ain clash, the 31-year-old played a key role in setting up Abdulrahman Ghareeb for Al-Nassr's first goal of the night and displayed a solid all-around performance.

The former Liverpool and Bayern Munich star helplessly watched on as the Knights of Najd missed three out of four attempts, with Cristiano Ronaldo being the sole scorer for their side as Al Ain secured a 3-1 victory.

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Vinicius escapes red for throat grab

Instances of players avoiding red cards despite their overly aggressive actions seem to be increasing, as seen previously with Vinicius Junior during a UEFA Champions League tie, Sports Brief reported.

The Brazilian found himself in a precarious situation when he placed his hands around Willi Orban's throat during a UEFA Champions League match between Madrid and RB Leipzig.

The incident drew criticism from several Leipzig players, including Benjamin Henrichs, who expressed dissatisfaction with the altercation.